Netsuke "Corbicula Gatherer" 蜆採木彫根付

Japanese follows English. 英語の後に日本語が続きます。

This 3 cm man (or a boy?) on show at Tokyo National Museum is netsuke in the shape of "corbicula gatherer" carved by Ryukei in the 19th century from wood. The carver is unknown. 

A netsuke is a small carved ornament, especially of ivory or wood, worn as part of Japanese traditional dress as a toggle by which an article may be attached to the sash of a kimono. (Source: Lexico)

"Corbicula gatherer," Ryukei in the 19th century, wood 蜆採木彫根付 龍珪 木製

The thing is he doesn't seem to me a corbicula gatherer at all, but a man cleaning the floor using a cloth on his knees, in other words, my late paternal grandfather! 

The grandfather was the youngest of more than ten siblings, so he was adopted by relatives because it was usual at that time in Japan for a couple with many children to give one of their sons to a couple with no kids. A family succession or having someone, usually the eldest son (or if they have no son, the eldest daughter) take care of the family grave was and still is very important in Japan. 

So, he was adopted in accordance with such Japanese tradition, but very unique otherwise for a man born before the war. He cleaned the floor with a cloth everyday like this corbicula gatherer, which surprised my mom when she went to her fiancé's (i.e., my dad's) house for the first time. The grandpa bought the house after making a success in his business. He must have been very proud of what he'd achieved and loved his house.         

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東京国立博物館の蜆採木彫根付。龍珪作です。シジミ採ってるように見えますか？私には雑巾がけしている男性にしか見えない｡｡｡ 

雑巾がけと言えば思い出すのは父方の祖父。家の廊下をしょっちゅう雑巾がけしていたそうで、婚約して父の家に初めて行ってそれを見た母はびっくり！祖父はたくさんいる兄弟の末っ子で養子にもらわれ、商売で成功してその家を買ったそうです。きっと自慢のおうちだったんだと思います。

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