Japanese netsuke, fishergirl fighting an octopus, Shibayama

An image of Netsuke: manju: Fishergirl fighting an octopus. Shibayama, c.1870, Japan. The cover is inset with a fishergirl fighting a gold octopus, its tentacles ensnaring the leg of the ivory fishergirl with long black hair and a red lacquer and gilt skirt. Her right arm is raised and clutching a dagger; in her left hand she holds a shell. The base is inlaid in gold with sea plants, a gold shell, and a Shakudo clam, and it has a central himotoshi. Tortoiseshell, ivory, gold and red lacquer, of circular form with an eyelet on the cover, circa 1870. Edo Period (1615-1868). Notes(s): The octopus (tako) is symbolic of prolificacy possibly on account of its many tentacles. It is also a phallic emblem and its supposed infatuation with young girls is the subject of many erotic netsuke. In folklore the octopus acts as physician to Ryujin, the God of the sea.

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Netsuke: manju: Fishergirl fighting an octopus. Shibayama, c.1870, Japan. The cover is inset with a fishergirl fighting a gold octopus, its tentacles ensnaring the leg of the ivory fishergirl with long black hair and a red lacquer and gilt skirt. Her right arm is raised and clutching a dagger; in her left hand she holds a shell. The base is inlaid in gold with sea plants, a gold shell, and a Shakudo clam, and it has a central himotoshi. Tortoiseshell, ivory, gold and red lacquer, of circular form with an eyelet on the cover, circa 1870. Edo Period (1615-1868). Notes(s): The octopus (tako) is symbolic of prolificacy possibly on account of its many tentacles. It is also a phallic emblem and its supposed infatuation with young girls is the subject of many erotic netsuke. In folklore the octopus acts as physician to Ryujin, the God of the sea.

Image data

Accession Number: O.49-1991
Photograph copyright © The Fitzwilliam Museum, Cambridge.
Aperture: f/32.0
Focal length: 100
Camera: Canon EOS 5D
Photographer name: Image Library; Fitzwilliam Museum
Image height: 1025 pixels
Image width: 1002 pixels
Processed with: Adobe Photoshop Lightroom 5.0 (Windows)
Filesize: 670.09kB
Exposure time: 1/15
ISO Speed: 100
Fnumber: 32/1
Captured: 2000:01:01 23:08:58

Key words

19th Century circular dagger Edo Period female fighting Fitz_AA gilded gilding gilt girls gold himotoshi inlaid inlay Japanese lacquer lacquered lacquering manju netsuke octopus round shakudo shells Shibayama tako tentacles tortoise shell tortoise-shell tortoiseshell turtle shell turtleshell

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            The Fitzwilliam Museum (2024)
            "Japanese netsuke, fishergirl fighting an octopus, Shibayama"
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