Netsuke: Miniature Sculptures.

14 Nov 2008-15 Mar 2009. This exhibition displays a selection of over 400 Netsuke, tiny sculptures used to secure pouches to the kimono, from the Lanfranchi as well as from other collections worldwide such as the Linden-Museum of Stuttgart. The use of Netsuke, generally made in wood or ivory, spread in Japan during the Edo period (1615-1868). They tell stories, legends and traditions from Japanese culture and represent a variety of domestic and exotic figures, which range from marketplace tradesmen to otherworldly beings to perfectly rendered animals.