NETSUKE NUT

NETSUKE NUT

Roger A. Davis

Some are made from wood, bone and nut
Yet my favorite is ivory, by a master’s cut
Buddhas, geishas, squirrel on a limb
Dragons, foo dogs and gods
Themes of the master’s whim
Zodiac animals carved in ivory
Year of the Tiger, born nineteen-fifty

Kimonos were worn days long ago
Obi sash then netsuke holding the silk string
Ojime, a tightening and loosening thing
Inro pouch for paper, pen and tobacco
Collectors now seek to acquire this art
And I am a netsuke nut doing my part

So when you come and visit to have a look
You will see Anthony Chan’s book
In a house with an ivory zoo
Now off to eBay looking for a cuckoo