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Japanese Ebisu Mask Shinto God of Fisherman - Kamen
Description
Japanese mask depicting the face of the 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 god are found everywhere in art,
masks and statuary. Ebisu is normally seen holding a long fishing
rod in his right hand and a large sea bream (tai) fish under his left
arm. Ebisu is often depicted 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
Authentic Japanese Ebisu mask (kamen). The mask is papier-mache hand-painted with eye holes and a cord to use when worn. The mask is less than 40 years old and in fair to good condition with no serious damage though there are some stains, marks and scratches and a darkened patina of age. There are some white marks at the back which may be dried material from the papier-mache.
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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 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.
We really want you to be happy with your purchase! For this reason all
items include a 100% money back guarantee. If you are unsatisfied for any
reason, you may return your purchase immediately for a full refund. Your purchase
and all shipping costs will then be refunded to you after the item has been returned
to our office in Japan. Please see our Contact page if you need to reach us for any reason.
Please see our Shipping page for full details regarding shipping rates, available shipping methods and combined shipping discounts. All shipments are via Japan Post standard airmail or Express Mail Service (EMS) airmail. EMS airmail includes a tracking number and is typically faster than standard airmail. Please note that we do not use less secure shipping methods such as surface or SAL delivery due to the higher incidence of loss, damage and significant delay which we have previously encountered using these methods. Your understanding and consideration prior to bidding is greatly appreciated. We ship anywhere and happily combine orders to help you save money. We
carefully weigh and measure each item prior to listing in order to determine
that item's actual shipping cost. This allows us to then include a shipping quote
within each listing which is sufficient to cover postage and handling costs to
any address worldwide. Purchases are carefully packed and
shipped within 72 hours of receipt of payment though holidays and weekends may cause additional delay. Standard airmail delivery to addresses in
North America and Europe average one to three weeks with more or less time
sometimes required for other areas of the world. International buyers should be aware of the laws of
their own country and be prepared to deal with any and all customs-related fees
and charges. Taxes, duties, VAT and any other levies accessed are the
responsibility of the buyer. We self insure the full purchase value of
each order.
Shopping with us is easy. Buy one item or shop for several days. There is never any hurry and we are happy to hold purchases while you continue shopping. Within 24 hours of the close of each transaction you will be sent an invoice including instructions to help you complete your purchase. When you pay for your purchase we will begin the shipment process. Please do not make payments for any individual items you wish us to combine as we are unable to combine items once payment has been received. When you are all done shopping please just send us an email to let us know and we will combine your unpaid purchases into a single order and send you an invoice with combined shipping. PayPal and ProPay are our preferred methods of payment.
Please note that we frequently use photographic models with our listings. This means that when we create a new listing we will randomly select from
inventory a sample of the item for the purpose of photography. The item
you receive therefore may differ slightly from the sample shown in the listing
photos. Your satisfaction guarantee however is always in force and we will
promptly refund or replace the item if you are not pleased with your purchase. Please contact us to ask if a model was used with any listing you may be interested in.
Our family business is located in one of the most beautiful and historic
areas of Japan (Shizuoka) and we take great pleasure in sharing videos, stories, facts
and images from this exciting and interesting culture. Please consider
visiting our
About Japan page where you can read our exclusive articles about Japan,
Japanese culture and even our recommended travel itinerary for those considering
a visit to the land of the rising sun.
*The estimated delivery time is based on the seller's handling time, the shipping service selected, and when the seller receives cleared payment. Sellers are not responsible for shipping service transit times. Transit times may vary, particularly during peak periods.
We really want you to be happy with your purchase! For this reason all items include a 100% money back guarantee. If you are unsatisfied for any reason, you may return your purchase immediately for a full refund. Your purchase and all shipping costs will then be refunded to you after the item has been returned to our office in Japan.
The buyer is responsible for return shipping costs.
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