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Kanso House

Antique Japanese Carved Ebisu Figure - 03

Antique Japanese Carved Ebisu Figure - 03

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A charming antique 19th-20th Century Ebisu figure

I acquired this and a number of other gods and Daikoku figures from a dealer in Tokyo who specialises in rare and unique folk sculpture, in his words Japan's Daikoku expert! We spent a wonderful afternoon talking about antiques and discussing the many nuances of the different sculptures, how to tell the age of the sculptures based on certain design features.

Here is Watanabe San's description of this Ebisu Sculpture:

"This is a wooden statue of Ebisu-sama, a deity who has been worshipped since ancient times as the god of fishing. He is also believed to preside over business prosperity and a bountiful harvest, making him one of the most famous deities in Japan, known by everyone. He is considered great friends with Daikokuten, who carries a large sack and a small mallet, and the two are often enshrined together.

This particular Ebisu-sama carving possesses a highly unusual feature: its back is significantly hollowed out or scooped out.

I have handled over 300 Ebisu and Daikokuten figures, yet I have never seen an Ebisu statue like this.

Consequently, the reason why the back was carved out remains unknown. However, a close look at the back suggests that the hollowing looks like some kind of pattern. It appears to have been carved with specific intent, rather than just being simply hollowed out. It could be that the back may have been carved as a charm or a magical/ritualistic pattern.

I also offer another hypothesis: the indentation on the back is shaped similarly to the sack carried by Daikokuten. It is possible that the statues were meant to be enshrined back-to-back. While the true reason may never be known, this is a wonderful piece that inspires a great deal of speculation."


I personally love the expression on this one and the face of the fish he is holding. The scalloped detail on the base is also very pleasing. This one is definitely a mingei folk art piece, not carved by a master which makes it even more charming.Β Β 

Measures 11.5cm x 9cm wide x 4.5cm deep

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An educational meeting

Tokyo 31-08-25

At the end of August I met Watanabe san, a passionate dealer in Tokyo who calls himself Japan's Daikokuten sculpture expert. We met at a dimly lit cafe and over the next 5 hours he brought out piece after piece sharing the history of each one, explaining to me the how sculpture designs have changed over the centuries, how to indentify a rare piece vs a common everyday sculpture.

Adding to the collection

I left the meeting exhausted, we had a translator with us who was amazing but listenting to two languages and trying to understand everything I was learning was alot ot take in. I did manage however to buy from him a small collection of wonderful sculptures to bring back to Australia.

Sharing the passion of daikokuten

Watanabe Collection

We can now share these pieces with you and explain the history and meaning behind each one, all thanks to Watanabe San's generosity with his extensive knowledge.

Read more

Read more about my meeting with Watanabe san in our Articles Section

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All you need to know

Shipping

We dispatch all orders within 2 business days via Australia Post. For extra large items, we may use a courier and will communicate with you about the options.

Standard shipping costs (Australia):

  • $0- $100 order: $10
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Standard Post takes 3-8 days to arrive to Australian destinations.

Express Post takes 1-2 days, unless there are delays due to peak postal times (ie Christmas).

You will be notified of any delays from our end (prior to shipping) as soon as possible.

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The promises we keep:

  • 30 days of reflection after receiving the product.Β 
  • Need an exchange? We will send you the new product within 4 business days of the day of receipt.Β 
  • Would you prefer us to refund your money? We will refund you within 3 days of receipt.

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About us

Kanso House is an online store, occasionally hosting popups in Victoria, Australia.

We are a family run small business with a passion for beautiful functional objects.

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