M0004139EA: Netsuke of a man receiving a massage on his shoulders/M0004139EB: Netsuke of three blind men astradled on a tree trunk

Previous title, replaced May 2020: Wood masseurs operating on shoulders.

Previous title, replaced May 2020: Three wood blindmen astradled on a tree trunk.

Photograph of two wooden Netsuke. One shows a man receiving a massage on his shoulders. The other is of three blind men sitting on a tree trunk with the man at the back having a Biwa strapped to his back. 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 46487 and 37856 and

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.