NETSUKE KNOWN AS "FUKUSUKE" (Sculpture)
Rights information: Copyright: Ashmolean Museum, University of Oxford
Description
Fukusuke is a traditional doll or sculpture in Japan associated with bringing good luck. This netsuke - a form of miniature sculpture often used to help fasten personal items to a man's garments - depicts Fukusuke kneeling and smiling, with an enlarged head contrasting with his much smaller body, likely to elicit humour in the viewer.
While there are several stories for their origin, one states that Fukusuke is based on a real-life man known as Sataro, a Japanese businessman who lived in Edo (modern-day Tokyo) during the 18th and 19th centuries and who was born with a form of dwarfism. He worked at various fairs and trade shows, and became very popular in Edo as a man believed to bring good fortune wherever he went. To this day, depictions of Fukusuke are often found within businesses or the houses of business owners.
- Kyle Lewis Jordan, Curating for Change Fellow, Ashmolean Museum and Pitt Rivers Museum