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- kimono. However, this was short lived, as the need for such pieces declined when many Japanese began to wear Western clothing.
For a time foreign collectors found netsuke interesting for their intricate detail and patronized the carvers, but this too was short-lived. When the foreign demand for netsuke waned many carvers again had to change direction. Some turned to carving larger sculptures called okimono, which were historical and genre figures as well as animals and plants. They were real�istically executed and of Japanese subjects. However, the market
for okimono also declined as the quality of the pieces deterio�rated. This was attributed to over-production and the high cost of creating the fine quality pieces.
There were several outstanding ivory carvers of the Meiji period, such as Asahi Gyokuzan (1843-1923), Ishikawa Komei (1852-1913) and Shimamura Shumei (1853-1890), as well as skill�ful wood carvers like Tanaka Mondo (1857-1917). Included in this exhibition are works by many fine lesser-known carvers, whose genre sculptures exemplify the tastes of both the local and foreign markets during the Meiji period.
MEIJI/31
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