What does the cryptic crossword clue "Clears this country earl to get decoration from Japan (7)" mean?

The definition is "a Japanese type of miniature sculpture NETS (e". The wordplay uses a charade (building blocks). NETS (synonym="e.g. to net/clear a profit") + UK (synonym="”this country”") + E (synonym="earl") = NETSUKE; definition: "a Japanese type of miniature sculpture NETS (e" The answer is NETSUKE.

Clears this country earl to get decoration from Japan (7)

Guardian Cryptic #29457 | 9 Across | 2024-08-09 flower

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