Thousand Year Old Tortoise Menuki

These unusual menuki depict a fairly common good luck animal in Japanese mythology - the Thousand Year Old Tortoise, or Hairy Tailed Tortoise.  This creature is associated with longevity to the Japanese.  The interesting thing about these menuki is that they are made of a dark hardwood.   Skillfully carved, with even the eyes inlaid with copper.   I think these are made in Kyushu or Shikoku, as they do not resemble anything I have seen from Honshu.  They could be considered country work.  None-the-less, they are quality pieces with a lot of character.  I think they would make excellent additions to a Higo or Satsuma tsuka of tanto or wakizashi size, as they embody the character of these regions.

Maximum dimensions  2.75cm x 1.4cm.   

Edo period

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