NAVIGATION

In the late 18th century direct contact with Europeans on Japan was strictly limited to a few Dutch trading on Dejima, but the books they brought with them had a great influence becoming the main source of western knowledge in Japan. The information disseminated through such works, known as ‘rangaku’ or Dutch studies, resulted in the introduction of drawing from nature and the use of perspective, light and shade. The effect of Western Art produced a new sense of realism which was also reflected in the carving of netsuke. The keen observation and attention to detail, especially in the depiction of animals, can be seen in the eyes that are inlaid with various materials and the meticulous portrayal of, as in this example, the suckers of the octopus and the face of the oni.