Kokuma School Inari Menuki
T0052
SOLD
A set of flocking fox menuki from the Kokuma school of Sendai province, of the deepest blue - black shakudo, with gold applied to the ball and the tip of the tail. Inari are the Fox god associated with the harvest and business. 4.08 cm x 1.71 cm and 3.98 cm x 1.68 cm. Once again, my pictures fall short of reality. Much than these indicate.
The Kokuma school from Sendai is a very small and rare school. These menuki would only have been used by a merchant. The gold ball represents the Kitsune’s soul. There are many shrines to this God throughout all the business districts in Japan even today. The statues of this God often need to be protected by a cage in order to keep them in good shape, as very often gamblers like to chip off a small piece of the statue as good luck. NBTHK Hozon kanteisho. In a custom fitted box.
