hashioki

Tanuki, with ideograms 'hashi' (eight) and 'to-ru' (to pass)

Origin : Japan

Made of : porcelain - potery

Classification : creatures / mammals

Maker : ?

hashioki-photo2
hashioki-photo3
hashioki-marks

 

About "tanuki" (tanuki - 狸 or タヌキ) :

Tanukis are Japanese raccoon dogs. In the Japanese folklore, the tanuki is a clever, jolly and cheeky character that plays tricks sometimes by disguising itself.

Many statues of tanukis can be found in Japan, often in front of temples or noodle shops. Tanukis are represented with a straw hat and often a bottle of sake in one hand and an empty purse in the other. They also have very large testicles.


explain_photo1
A group of tanuki statues sold in a market
explain_photo2
Close-up of a tanuki statue in front of a restaurant