This 10 cm sculpture is netsuke "Ghost with flowing" on show at Tokyo National Museum this March. It was made by Michael Birch from ivory and rhinoceros horn. 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)
In Japan, ghosts are believed to be dead people who can't go to either heaven or hell because of strong anger and grudges against someone, wandering around to curse the person to death. Japanese people strongly believed such ghost's power, and Michizane Sugawara (845 - 903) is one such example. Michizane was a Japanese scholar, poet, and politician in the Heian Period, accused of favoring some prince over the crown prince as the main successor to the emperor's throne, resulting in being demoted to a minor official post in a remote place, where he and his entire family were banished, dying in exile.
Michizane's anger is said to have been so strong that after his death, plagues and droughts took place and his political enemies died one after another. You can see how strong and deep his anger was by seeing the noh mask "Ootobide."
And this made me think who I would be that angry with and realize that if I were infected with Covid-19, got seriously ill, but weren't able to be treated in hospital, ending up dying, I would be a ghost to scare (not curse) to death politicians who haven't done anything (in Japan, politicians usually don't make decisions or do anything) and their supporters who complain but don't do anything either to change the status quo.
You may wonder why I'm so worried that I can't be treated in hospital even though Japan has much fewer Covid infections (i.e., 3,177 new positive cases on July 28), but you should know that Japanese healthcare system has already collapsed because of a drastic reduction of hospital beds in recent years, so currently many patients are just abandoned at home without receiving any treatment.
If you love netsuke, read the posts listed under the photos!
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| "Ghost with flowing," Michael Birch「髪の長い幽霊」マイケル・バーチ |
- Symbol of Peace? - Netsuke & Halloween
- Japanese Saying: Netsuke Titled "A-Hum"!
- Netsuke - Japanese Lovelorn Ghost Puts a Curse Saying "Urameshiya..."
- Kawaii Two-Legged Yokai Goblin Netsuke Sculpture
- Kawaii Netsuke Jedi
- Watermelon Netsuke Carving With Makie Lacquer Painting
- Netsuke "Jurojin God"
- Netsuke "Dog Days"
- Netsuke "Muskmelon"
- Netsuke and Jello "Goldfish"
- Netsuke/Ojime "Wild Boar, Baby Boars"
- Gourds in Various Forms - Netsuke, Pickle.....
- Netsuke "Sheep"
- Netsuke "Boss"
- Netsuke "Fukurokuju God"
- Netsuke - Japanese Lovelorn Ghost Puts a Curse Saying "Urameshiya..."
- Kawaii Two-Legged Yokai Goblin Netsuke Sculpture
- Kawaii Netsuke Jedi
- Watermelon Netsuke Carving With Makie Lacquer Painting
- Netsuke "Jurojin God"
- Netsuke "Dog Days"
- Netsuke "Muskmelon"
- Netsuke and Jello "Goldfish"
- Netsuke/Ojime "Wild Boar, Baby Boars"
- Gourds in Various Forms - Netsuke, Pickle.....
- Netsuke "Sheep"
- Netsuke "Boss"
- Netsuke "Fukurokuju God"
- Netsuke "Favorite Food"
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東京国立博物館の「髪の長い幽霊」です。マイケル・バーチ作、象牙と犀角でできています。幽霊といえばうらめしや～です。で思いました。もし今私がコロナにかかり、でも医療崩壊のせいで自宅放置になって死んでしまったらきっと化けて出るでしょう（本気です）。今の状況は人災ではないでしょうか。
根付がお好きな方は以下の記事もどうぞ！
- 人麻呂牙彫根付
- 根付「羽衣」
- 瓢切木彫根付
- 百鬼夜行木彫根付
- 根付「冬眠」
- 根付「好物」
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