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<\/a>My netsuke<\/p><\/div>\n
When I first married, friends of my parents gave us an ivory netsuke<\/i> (\u2018net-ski\u2019) of a pot-bellied man with a pack on his back. We thought it delightful but didn\u2019t have a clue as to what it was. \u00a0<\/span>Fast forward to my marriage to Joel, then an Asian art dealer, who taught me about netsuke and a great deal else.<\/p>\n Invented in 17th<\/sup> century Japan, \u00a0<\/span>netsuke are part the system that enabled men, whose clothing lacked pockets, to store items like tobacco, money, medicines or other small items. Typically, men placed their belongings in a small stack of highly decorated boxes called inro,<\/i> held together by a cord and secured by a netsuke that served as a sort of toggle. A bead, known as an ojime<\/i>, went on the cord between the netsuke and the inro and slid up and down, both to keep the stash together and get at something in one of the boxes.\u00a0 <\/span>(Women had to carry small items in their kimono sleeves which must have meant much more organizing\u2014no surprise there.)<\/p>\n Hundreds of pieces of De Waal\u2019s pottery were on view about six weeks ago at a New York gallery, each piece painstakingly arranged by De Waal off-site and then tweaked at the gallery by the artist with a team of associates. De Wall\u2019s work is minimalist to an extreme; most pieces are small and rendered in neutral whites, grays and black, some with a touch of gilt.<\/p>\n Work by De Waal<\/p><\/div>\n I found the overall effect soothing when I badly needed a little calm and deliberately avoided thinking how easily the fragile masterpieces could be reduced to shards. My hands, and those of other gallery-goers, were by our sides or in our pockets to ward off any potential bulls encountering china.\u00a0 <\/span><\/p>\n An (easy) Japanese recipe seems appropriate here. For a cultural mix and a nice twist, these beans would make a great Thanksgiving vegetable.<\/p>\n Sesame Green Beans<\/span><\/b><\/p>\n (serves 2- 3 but easily multiplied for more)<\/p>\n 8 ounces fresh green beans, trimmed<\/p>\n 2 Tbls soy sauce (low sodium if you wish)<\/p>\n 1\/2 Tbs. miso paste<\/p>\n 1\/2 Tsp red pepper flakes<\/p>\n 4 cloves garlic, minced (or less for the garlic-averse like me)<\/p>\n 1 Tsp grated fresh ginger root<\/p>\n 1 Tbls sesame seeds, toasted just long enough to make them give off a scent<\/p>\n Steam beans (or nuke them\u2014be sure they end up crisp\/tender.)\u00a0 <\/span>Drain well and move beans to \u00a0<\/span>a serving bowl.<\/span><\/p>\n Meanwhile, in a small bowl, stir together\u00a0 <\/span>soy sauce, miso paste, red pepper flakes, garlic and ginger. Pour over the green beans and toss to coat. Sprinkle sesame seeds on top.<\/span><\/p>\n Enjoy Thanksgiving, Hannukah or whatever comes your way. I will be toasting Joel, turkey-meister extraordinaire.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n <\/p>\n <\/p>\n <\/p>\n <\/p>\n <\/p>\n <\/p>\n When I first married, friends of my parents gave us an ivory netsuke (\u2018net-ski\u2019) of a pot-bellied man with a pack on his back. We thought it delightful but didn\u2019t have a clue as to what it was. \u00a0Fast forward … Continue reading <\/a>The book, The Hare with Amber Eyes<\/i>, recounts the history of 264 netsuke that celebrated potter, Edmund de Waal, inherited from his uncle who lived in Japan. These tiny figures traveled over a fair share of Europe, were probably confiscated by the Nazis and finally resurfaced in London. If you have somehow avoided reading the book, do yourself a favor and get a copy.<\/p>\n<\/a><\/a><\/p>\n\n\n
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