Netsuke "Octopus Trap" 蛸壺牙彫根付

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

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"!)

東京国立博物館の「蛸壺牙彫根付」、光弘作（19世紀）、象牙製です。とぼけた顔がカワイイです🐙！蛸というと「蛸部屋」といった強制労働に関連するよくない言葉がありますね。今は「タコ部屋労働」は法律で禁止されていますが、ブラック企業が増えています。

ただ、タコ自身に罪はありません。個人的にはタコの寿司、カルパッチョが大好きです！

根付お好きな方はこちらの記事もご覧ください。40以上の根付を掲載してます！

(Google アカウントを持ってない方は、コメント記入後に「Google アカウント」をクリックし、「匿名」か「名前/URL」を選択してからご記入ください！)