M0004078: Netsuke of spirit of departed priest in form of skeleton, Japan

Previous title, replaced May 2020: Spirit of departed priest in form of skeleton.

Photograph of a Netsuke of the spirit of departed priest in the form of a skeleton. The priest's spirit can be seen praying to Buddha, kneeling infront of a Mokugyo (temple drum) with clapper in hand. Netsuke are ornaments worn with a Kimono. The Netsuke is tied a silk bag hidden behind the sash for belongings. They were especially popular during the Tokugawa period (1603–1868) and are seen by many as fine works of miniature art. This Netsuke is from Doctor Hermann Gunther's collection of Netsuke. The original object can be found at the History of Science Museum under the inventory number 39679

24 October 1934

1 photograph glass plate negative; 12 x 16 cm

Catalogue data comes from a combination of entries in the original glass plate registers, metadata created when the glass plates were digitised in the early 2000s and enhancements made by the cataloguer in 2021.

Please consult the digitised version as this item is fragile. Email library@wellcomecollection.org to request access to the physical item.