July, 1918 
19 
A boy as Nasakeji on the 
tongue-cut sparrow. Ivory by 
Gyokumin, IS th Century 
From left to right, a dog netsuke of ivory: a hare 
netsuke; a carved frog of wood with amber eyes, by 
Ko-Kei, 18ffc Century; a cock of wood, 1781 
Group of three figures, one 
with a fan, two beating drums. 
An ivory netsuke 
are two seated figures, that of an 
old wood-cutter and his wife. On 
the faces of both is a smile of 
satisfaction and anticipation for 
they are about to divide a great 
peach between them. Now the 
favorite fairy-story of the Japa¬ 
nese is the ancient story of Momo- 
taro, ‘Little Peachling.’ ” 
This is the story he told: 
The Story of Momotaro 
Many, many centuries ago, 
when the Land Where the Sun 
begins was young, there lived an 
old wood-cutter and his wife, a 
devoted couple who had shared 
poverty and hardship as they had 
also shared any joy that had crept 
into their uneventful lives. How 
they longed for a son! But for¬ 
tune had denied them that happi¬ 
ness. Often they had talked 
about it and had sighed to think 
no child had been born to them 
to be a comfort to their old age. 
One day when the wood-cutter 
had gone forth to his tasks, the 
wife went down to the stream that 
flowed near their hut to wash the 
clothes. Just as she had finished 
her work, she noticed a .great won¬ 
derful peach floating down with 
the current. The fruit was of so 
extraordinary a size that she 
could not believe it could be real. 
A little snag sticking up in the 
water arrested its voyage, and the 
wood-cutter’s wife 
presently succeeded 
in reaching out 
with a bamboo 
stem and guiding 
it safely to shore 
where she picked it 
up. To her amaze¬ 
ment she found 
that it was a real 
peach, and as food 
was scarce enough 
A group of rare mask netsuke in the Sage Collection. The variations of 
human and demoniac caricature show the range of Japanese talent in 
even this limited field of netsuke carving 
with both she hastened home with 
it to share it with her husband. 
When the wood-cutter returned 
and saw the marvellous fruit he 
cried, “Ah, we shall not entertain 
famine to-night!” and straight¬ 
way started to cut open the peach, 
when, lo! it broke open of its 
own accord and out from it 
stepped a perfectly formed and 
beautiful boy. Overcome with 
joy the old couple cried, “The 
gods have sent us a son,” and 
straightway they took him to their 
hearts, and they called him Little 
Peachling. 
Little Peachling’s Adventures 
He grew to be far taller and far 
stronger than other boys of his 
age, and one day begged permis¬ 
sion to be allowed to journey to 
the Island of Ogres, that he might 
free the world of the wicked 
demons who dwelt thereon and 
devoured every person who came 
that way. At first the wood-cut¬ 
ter’s wife begged her husband to 
keep Momotaro at home, but the 
old wood - cutter said, “Wife, 
Momotaro is a son of the gods. 
They will permit no harm to be¬ 
fall him. We must let him go.” 
And so Momotaro started on 
his way, carrying with him some 
rice cakes which the old woman 
made for him. A dog, a monkey 
and a pheasant whom he met on 
his way begged 
Momotaro to per¬ 
mit them to accom¬ 
pany him, and this 
he did. 
How Momotaro, 
the dog, monkey 
and pheasant res¬ 
cued the daughters 
of the D a imyo 
(Continued on 
page 52) 
Another group of old ivory netsuke in 
the Sage Collection show groups of jolly 
old men—pilgrims and priests and such 
Shiba O n k o 
breaks a jar in 
this wood carv¬ 
ing by Masanoa, 
\8th Century 
The figures of 
the print artist 
come to life. 
Wood by Jug- 
yoku 
