M0004143EA: Netsuke of two blind men wrestling / M0004143EB: Netsuke of masseur massaging a man on left shoulder with his elbow

Previous title, replaced May 2020: Wood two blindman wrestling, one with cyst, signed Masayuki.

Previous title, replaced May 2020: Wood masseur operates on left shoulder with elbow.

Photograph of two wooden Netsuke. One is of two blind men wrestling, one with cyst, signed by Masayuki. The other is of a masseur kneeling down, using his elbow to massage a seated man. 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. These Netsuke are from Doctor Hermann Gunther's collection of Netsuke. The original objects can be found at the History of Science Museum under the inventory numbers 41386 and 48792.

January 1935

1 photograph glass plate negative; 12 x 16 cm

Copyright is held by Wellcome Collection

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.