netsuke: Meaning and Definition of

ne•tsu•ke

Pronunciation: (net'skē, -skā Japn. ne'ts&oobreve&sylpke'), [key]
— n.
  1. (in Japanese art) a small figure of ivory, wood, metal, or ceramic, originally used as a buttonlike fixture on a man's sash, from which small personal belongings were hung.
Random House Unabridged Dictionary, Copyright © 1997, by Random House, Inc., on Infoplease.