This 4 cm sculpture is netsuke in the shape of an octopus trap on show at Tokyo National Museum this March. It was carved by Mitsuhiro from ivory in the 19th century. The funny face of the octopus is so cute, isn't it🐙?
An octopus trap is used for octopus fishing, and another Japanese term related to an octopus is "tako beya," which literally means "octopus room."
"Tako beya" or "octopus room" is a harsh work system beginning in the Meiji period (1868-1912) under which the workers were forced to labor in construction sites or coal mines without enough meals, sleeping in accommodation huts called "tako beya (octopus room)" because the laborers couldn't escape from the labor camps like octopuses from such traps. The forced labor and labor camps are currently banned by the Labor Standard Act although instead Japan is now seeing increasing "black companies," i.e., companies that hire many employees, mainly contract workers or part-timers, to force them to work a significant amount of overtime without pay by threatening or harassing them.
Putting aside the sad and shameful history and the current social economic issue in Japan, however, Japanese people love octopuses not only as a sushi topping but also as a theme of art like this octopus netsuke.
If you like netsuke, read this post to see more than 40 netsuke!!
 |
| "Octopus trap," Mitsuhiro, ivory「蛸壺牙彫根付」光弘 象牙 |
(If you wish to post your comment but don't have a Google account, select "anonymous" from the drop down menu titled "comment as"!)
0 件のコメント:
コメントを投稿