What is the difference between okimono and netsuke?

An okimono is a free-standing ornament for display in an interior. A netsuke is the small toggle worn on the sash cord to secure a hanging pouch or inro. Both traditions were long established by the 19th century. Okimono lead the listings at 120 titles, netsuke follow at 62.

Which material is most common?

Bronze, by a wide margin. It is named in 264 of 402 titles, and nothing else comes close. Carved wood is second, with boxwood in 49 titles and most netsuke made from it. Stag antler, walrus tusk and bone appear in smaller numbers, ivory in only nine titles.

How often do these come up for sale?

Around 55 Japanese sculptures come to market on Sellingantiques in a year. They are listed by 48 different dealers, so the category is spread widely rather than held by a few specialists.

Are most pieces signed or by a named maker?

Signed appears in 35 of 402 titles, so a signature is the exception rather than the rule. Named studios do not dominate. Only one maker name is carried by three or more dealers across the whole archive; nearly every other name in the titles belongs to a single dealer's stock. Names appear stamped, cast into the piece, or offered as an attribution.

What subjects turn up most?

Animals. The tiger leads at 30 titles, the elephant follows at 24, and elephant-and-tiger combat groups recur often enough to be a recognised type. Horses, bears, monkeys, lions and hawks fill out the animal side. Buddhist and human figures run alongside throughout, in both bronze and wood.

How reliable are the dates given in listings?

Treat the dated field as a guide. Of 402 listings, 213 carry a clean year, but 166 are dated only to "19th Century". Decade-level entries cluster on the 1900s, 1890s and 1910s. A few evidently mis-keyed dates sit in the archive, including a boxwood netsuke tagged 16th Century.