Author: Raymond Bushell, , attorney, collector, and netsuke authority, is known to netsuke collectors for his adaptation into English of The Netsuke Handbook of Ueda Reikichi, an important work on the subject.

He is the author of The Wonderful World of Netsuke, An Introduction to Netsuke, Netsuke Familiar and Unfamiliar, The Inro Handbook, The Art of Netsuke Carving, and Collectors’ Netsuke. He is also a frequent contributor of articles to Arts of Asia, The Journal of International Netsuke Collectors, and The Netsuke Kenkyukai Study Journal. He arrived in Japan with the American occupation forces in 1945 and lived there until 1990 practicing law, collecting, and studying netsuke, inro, and sword furnishings.

Publisher/Date: Weatherhill (1995 reprint) Retail $125.00

Format/Condition: NEW hardcover book with dust jacket and slipcase is in fine condition. 206 pages, profusely illustrated, measures approx 9×12 inches.

Description: Beautifully presented as a red linen-bound volume in a laminated slipcase, this book traces the history and tradition of the mask motif in Japanese netsuke—the small, sculpted fobs used to secure personal effects to a kimono sash. Masks are probably the most ancient models for netsuke, with some Gigaku masks dating back to the 8th century, and represent many aspects of Japanese culture. Some 350 of these highly prized personal items are depicted here in color plates, along with hundreds of additional objects in black and white figures.