Japanese Prayer Board Ema Rat Dragging Good Luck Bell

This piece measures 4.5 inches high and 6.75 inches wide at the widest point. Ema, which means a picture of a horse in Japanese, was originally that, a wooden board with a painted picture of a horse. People wrote their wishes and prayers on the Ema and presented it to the shrine or the temple. Although in the beginning people presented actual horses when they made a wish, over the years people came to present pictures of horses instead. Today, Ema with other motifs are often used to make wishes as well.

It depicts a sacred white good luck rat that is literally dragging a huge bell. In ancient Japan, the clear sound produced by the bells are thought to have talismanic power often used in religious ceremonies and worn by people as a charm as well. Since the color white is considered a sacred color, this regal looking white rat is a messenger of Gods and the talisman of the year.

The branded inscription on the back of the piece reads Atsuta Jingu" Shinto shrine in Atsuta, Nagoya in Aichi Prefecture of Japan. Atsuta Jingu is known as the second-most venerable shrine in Japan (the most venerable being the Grand Shrine of Ise). It enshrines Kusanagi no mitsurugi (the Kusanagi sacred sword), one of the three imperial regalia of Japan. It holds around 70 festivals in a year, and many people visit the shrine year-round. Also, the shrine has over 4,000 national treasures representing its 2,000 years of history.

The original owner inscribed on the back of the piece that reads "Heisei 8th year (1996), the Year of the Rat, for Muso (my grandchild's son)." The condition is very good.

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