Netsuke in Shape of Lucky God Daikoku 大黒牙彫根付

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

This 3 cm sculpture is netsuke in the shape of the Lucky God Daikoku on show at Tokyo National Museum. It's carved from ivory by someone whose name I can't read, but which suggests that he'd carved netsuke for 73 years. So, someone trained for something for 73 years can create such a cute thing that makes people happy!! I love his smile and dancing.

The Lucky God Daikoku or Daikokuten is the god of commerce and prosperity and the patron of cooks, farmers, bankers, and the protector of crops. He's also a demon hunter, and one of the Seven Lucky Gods, who interestingly include gods from Japan, China and India. (Daikokuten himself is Indian!) At least when the Seven Lucky Gods existed😇 or were believed to exist, Japan was diverse! (See this post for the Seven Lucky Gods!)

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). If you love netsuke, see this list to see more than 40 netsuke items!

Netsuke in shape of Lucky God Daikoku 大黒牙彫根付

Is he singing and dancing? 歌えや踊れや♬

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東京国立博物館に展示されていた大黒牙彫根付です。行年七十三石巒作です。

「行年七十三石巒」の読み方を調べたのですが分かりませんでした。どうも73年間修業してきたという意味らしいですのでが、それ以上は｡｡｡

去年、七福神について書きました。七福神は日本、中国、インドの神様のグループ。日本も昔は多様性が豊かだったんですね。ご興味ある方はこちらもお読みください。

根付にご興味ある方はこちらのリストもどうぞ。根付をたくさん掲載しています！

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