Description
Antique wooden Japanese Shinto kamidana 'god shelf' designed
for use on ships or boats.
This type of small Shinto (native religion of Japan) shrine is commonly used in Japan by families or even
organizations and business to symbolically house the group's patron deity.
Kamidana will normally be placed in conspicuous view on a shelf or high
wall within an important room such as the family room or in an area where
employees or associates work or gather. Kamidana are also used to
house sacred tablets called
ofuda (lit "honorable plaque") which are inscribed with written
prayers and sanctified by a priest. Kamidana are normally not just
for show and will commonly receive regular attention from those who live or
operate within its sphere of influence. With my wife's (Japanese) family
for instance, the two kamidana within their home do receive offerings
twice daily; once in the morning and again in the evening before supper.
The ritual is always the same, and anyone who wakes up early enough might enjoy
watching mother as she takes the first scoops of rice from the cooker and gives
these, along with several clear glasses of water, to her husband who delivers
the offerings, along with a solemn prayer, to each of the home's kamidana
as well as to their home's small Buddhist altar (butsudan).
Kamidana (aka zushi) are basically small versions of larger Shinto shrines called Jinja,
which are found at the heart of every Japanese community as well as areas of
spiritual significance and to mark important natural features such as waterfalls
and even the tops of mountains. Please read below to learn more about
Japanese Shinto shrines.
About the Listed Item
This unusual kamidana dates from the mid to late Showa period
(1926-1989) and was designed specifically for use with ships and boats and
features a compact design suitable for installation within the cabin of a marine
vessel. The kamidana includes a built-in ofuda
which is permanently affixed to the inside of the zushi and which is
protected by a decorative screen with braided fabric tassels. The antique wooden kamidana offered here features expert craftsmanship and
classic Japanese style, with detailed architectural touches. The shrine includes double doors providing
access to a small sanctuary where
ofuda and other appropriate religious items may be placed. The
kamidana is in very good condition with only small marks and scratches
from handling and wears a darkened patina of age.
Please refer to the size chart below for links to listings for different sizes
and styles of kamidana. And please click
here to see blessed ofuda tablets to use with your kamidana!
Size:
Height: 9.8 inches (25.0 centimeters)
Width: 7.2 inches (18.5 centimeters)
Depth: 3.5 inches (9.0 centimeters)
Weight: 16.8 ounces (481 grams)
Additional Styles of brand new Kamidana (click link to view available listings):
Click
here
to see sanctified Shinto ofuda tablets!
Click
here
to see additional Shinto items!
Click
here
to see more treasures from Japan!
Note about buying Japanese Shinto antiques
Many Shinto items such as ofuda, omamori, hamaya and shimenawa are thought to
have limited powers which diminish over time. Japanese people therefore
commonly dispose of such items each year in special burning ceremonies called
dondoyaki, which are presided over by Shinto priests and performed on the
grounds of the shrine. However, many Shinto items are not burned and may
find new life as cherished religious items, sometimes with foreigners practicing
Shinto outside Japan. Many of the Japanese we have discussed this with
(including a Shinto priest) have been pleased to learn that old items of their
native faith are often well received by Shinto believers abroad. However,
we are sensitive to the fact that some may prefer to see their old Shinto items
burned and for this reason we do offer a free disposal service. Anyone who
wishes to have their Shinto items properly destroyed in a dondoyaki ceremony may
send the items to us which we will hold and take to our local Shinto shrine for
sanctioned disposal. Please contact us in advance if you wish to use this
complementary service and we will
provide you with the appropriate mailing address.
About Japanese Shinto Shrines
At the heart and spiritual center of every Japanese city, town and village
are well preserved wooded plots of land which are the sanctuary of Japan's
native deities. These places, which are called Jinja in Japanese,
will invariably include one or more shrines where believers can worship and
offer prayers to the gods. Jinja,
and the grounds upon which they reside are used not just for worship, but also
as a place for community events, festivals and even as playgrounds. Most
shrines typically consist of a large patch of wooded ground with a
gate-like structure called a torii providing passage from the secular
world into the spiritual. Fierce stone dog statues (one is actually a
lion) called
komainu stand guard along a stone path leading from the
torii to the foot of the shrine complex. Before reaching the shrine,
visitors will normally stop to rinse their hands and mouth at a stone water
basin (chozubachi) provided for this purpose. This is done as an
act of purification before coming into the presence of the resident deity.
Upon reaching the actual shrine one must typically then ascent a short staircase
to a platform where worship may be performed. Looking through the
large structure's open doors one might spot a second, more secluded building visible
beyond the first. This other building is the actual shrine itself and the
true residence of the enshrined deity. Legend holds that any who
improperly enter the inner-sanctuary will be blinded by the magnificent power
residing therein, and for this reason most Japanese are happy to pay their
respects from the safety of the doorway of the outermost building. Large Japanese
Shinto shrines often have numerous smaller shrines located elsewhere on the
shrine grounds. These smaller structures are often only slightly larger
than a doll house and are the symbolic homes of lesser deities who are perhaps
in some way associated with the god of the main shrine.
item code: R1S3-0004273
ship code: G6
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