I just completed my fifth netsuke, this time representing a fox which hopefully appears calm and tranquil. It is made from the root section of an old scrap of walrus tooth so the shape, and to some extent to composition of the netsuke was dictated by the material. 
This netsuke also gave me the opportunity to experiment with ibushi or fumigation staining using incense smoke to enhance the materials depth and finish (though eradicating the smoky odour after is proving difficult). Overall this has been a project I quite enjoyed working on and I will definitely be returning the fox as subject matter in future netsuke.
