Village

Inspired by the works of Katsushika Hokusai, this Ryusa netsuke is not just a landscape, but an entire Ukiyo-e (“Picture of the Floating World”) print captured in three dimensions. It tells a story about the beauty of everyday life and humanity’s harmony with its world.
We see a fisherman returning home. He carries not only an oar but also a basket with a catch—a symbol of successful, completed labor.
​He is crossing a bridge, a classic Japanese symbol of transition: from the outer world of work to the safe space of home. A stone lantern (Tōrō) already awaits him—a symbol of safety, enlightenment, and a welcoming light that banishes darkness and guides the way home.
On the reverse, we see the world to which the fisherman is returning. It is a place of peace and prosperity.
​The Pine Tree (Matsu): A mighty symbol of longevity, resilience, and eternity. It is the eternal guardian watching over this home.
​The Barn (Kura): A symbol of abundance and stored wealth—the result of the fisherman’s labor.
​Birds pecking seeds: This is not “theft”; it is a brilliant symbol of true prosperity. The barn is so full, and the world so harmonious, that nature itself takes its share. It is a sign that the home has an abundance, enough for all.
​The Philosophy of the Work:
You have created a perfect, closed cycle of the world that Hokusai so loved to depict. It is a celebration of Heibon (平凡)—the extraordinary beauty of ordinary, everyday life.
​This is a talisman that celebrates labor that is rewarded (the fisherman with his catch), a safe home (the lantern and bridge), and prosperity in complete harmony with nature (the barn and birds under the shade of the eternal pine).
​Materials: Mammoth tusk.
​Size: 2 inches (≈5.1 cm) in diameter, 1/2 inch thick.
2007. UK, private collection.