Netsuke "Mermaid" 人魚木彫根付

英語の後に日本語が続きます。

This is a netsuke shaped like a mermaid at the Tokyo National Museum. It's 4 to 5 cm long, carved from wood in the 19th century. The carver is unknown.

I was surprised at this netsuke because it's not what I imagined a mermaid to be. (It doesn't look like the Little Mermaid at all!) I googled and was more surprised that in Japan, The Nihon Shoki (The Chronicles of Japan) referred to mermaids as early as in the 6th century. Japan also has a legendary Buddhist nun who lived to 800 years old by eating the flesh of a mermaid. Wow, the concepts of mermaids significantly vary between countries!   

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 dozens of netsuke items!

Netsuke "Mermaid" 人魚木彫根付

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東京国立博物館に展示されていた「人魚木彫根付」です。木製で19世紀作です。それにしてもこれは人魚なんでしょうか。イメージが違う｡｡｡ で調べたら、人魚って日本でも6世紀ぐらいから伝承されているようです。しかも人魚の肉を食べて800歳まで生きた八百比丘尼という尼さんの伝説もあります。人魚姫の人魚とはずいぶん違う扱いですね。

根付お好きな方は是非こちらのリストもご覧ください！たくさんの根付を掲載しています。

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