Description
Beautiful antique Japan porcelain plate decorated with the face of the
Japanese Shinto (native religion of Japan) god Ebisu.
Ebisu is Japan's god of fisherman, the morning sun and one of the seven
popular luck gods within the Shinto pantheon. Ebisu is also
sometimes regarded as the protector of small children, a role he shares with the
Buddhist deity Jizo. Legend holds the Ebisu was once a real
man (a fisherman in fact) who rescued a boneless (it's a long story) god named
Hiruko from the sea. Ebisu (who's full name at that time was
Ebisu Saburo) went on to live a life full of troubles after which point
he become a Shinto deity. Ebisu has always been popular in
Japan and images of this happy, ever smiling deity are found everywhere in art,
masks and statuary. Ebisu is sometimes depicted holding a long fishing
rod in his right hand and a large sea bream (tai) fish under his left
arm. Ebisu is often seen with another famous Shinto luck
god Daikoku who is reputed to be Ebisu's father. Ebisu
and
Daikoku are both members of the
Shichifukujin group of seven luck gods. These famous gods (six male and one female) are
frequently seen together in Japanese art, often in a boat sailing the seas of
fortune. Ebisu is unique among the seven as the only god who is
native to Japan, the other gods all tracing their origins to religious
traditions within other cultures.
About the Listed Item
The unique and culturally interesting plate dates from the early Showa
period (1926-1989) and is made of fine porcelain finished with a lovely celadon
glaze. The plate is in fair condition with a small hairline crack visible
at the front and back side of the plate (visible and noted in detail photos
below). There are also some
stains as well as small marks and scratches from use. There are also a few
small chips at the base.
The highlight of this piece -
in addition to it's expert craftsmanship - is the incredible celadon glaze. Developed fifteen hundred years
ago in China, the celadon family of glazes are today recognized as some of the
finest ever created. Noted for it's transparent gloss or semi-gloss surface and
gray green to blue green to jade green color, the glazes were developed to
imitate the natural beauty of jade. The color variations are the result of a
pooling effect where the glaze settles into low spots on the piece producing a
thicker layer and deeper hue of green. High spots on the piece then receive a
thinner coat of glaze resulting in a lighter shade of green with tantalizing
hints of the cool, white porcelain beneath. The artistic use of celadon
glaze with this piece has helped to produce a captivating image of one of the
most important icons of Japanese culture.
Diameter: 7.2 inches (18.5 centimeters)
Weight: 10.2 ounces (290 grams)
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collection!
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to see other Ebisu items!
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More about the Shinto religion
Shinto
is one of the two major religions of Japan (the other is Buddhism). Shinto
is often considered to be the native religion
of Japan, and is as old as Japan itself. The name Shinto means "the way
of the gods." Shinto is a pantheistic religion, in which many thousands
of major and minor gods are thought to exist. The Japanese have built
thousands
of shrines (jinja) throughout the country to honor and worship these gods. Some shrines
are huge and are devoted to important deities. Other shrines are small and may
be easily missed when strolling along roads in the countryside.
Shinto gods are called kami. Kami are thought to have
influence on human affairs, and for this reason many Japanese make regular
pilgrimage to community shrines in order to offer prayers to local kami.
The act of prayer involves approaching the shrine structure, passing through the
gate-like torii, cleansing the hands and mouth
with water and possibly ascending stairs to the main entrance of the shrine.
Usually without entering the shrine the worshipper will throw some coins into a
stone or wooden collection box and then rattle the suzu bell which is at
the top of a long hemp rope. The worshiper grabs hold of the rope and shakes it
back and forth causing the copper bell at the top to rattle. This is thought to
get the attention of the shrine god. The worshipper then bows twice, claps his
or her hands twice and then bows again. In addition, the worshipper may clasp
their hands together in silent prayer. Shintoism and Buddhism have managed to
find a comfortable coexistence in Japan. Evidence of this harmonious relationship is
found in the fact that that most Japanese are married in a Shinto shrine,
but buried by a Buddhist priest.
More photos below!
item code: R3S7-0002370
category code: (ebisuplate)
ship code: G3
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