This is an ivory netsuke depicting a Christian saint, Saint Anthony (1195–1231). He was a Portuguese Catholic priest of the Franciscan Order. His notable attributes are depicted in this ivory carving. He carries an infant Jesus Christ and holds a cross on his other hand. He is depicted wearing a typical Franciscan robes with a short shoulder cape and around the neck and over the shoulders hangs the cowl. He is also depicted with a tonsure to show that he was a friar in the Franciscan Order. Netsuke refers to a miniature sculpture (of size usually made around 5-8 cm). It is carved from wood or ivory and drilled with a passage allowing it to be threaded on a cord. The existence of netsuke is invariably ascribed to the fact that traditional Japanese dress has no pockets. Netsuke is believed to have first used in Japan towards the end of the 16th century or the beginning of the 17th century, when it became fashionable to carry everyday necessities in a number of small containers suspended from the waist. The abandonment of traditional dress during the 1860–1870s gradually eliminated the need for netsuke, which continued to be made for export and for specialized Japanese collectors.
