Catalog Number
|
Catalog Number |
CAS 1993-0001-0375 | |
| Category | Folk Toys | |
| Object Name | Animated toy (mouse) | |
| Culture | Japanese | |
| Global Region | East Asia | |
| Country | Japan | |
| State/Prov./Dist. | Ishikawa Prefecture | |
| County | ||
| Other Geographic Data | City: Kanazawa | |
| Maker's Name | Unknown | |
| Date of Manufacture | ca. 1960s | |
| Collection Name | Kadota Collection (Japanese Folk Toys) | |
| Materials | Wood; Bamboo; Paint; String; Wire | |
| Description | Carving of a rat with movable head and tail mounted on metal pins and manipulated by means of a side-mounted bamboo spring in conjunction with string; Rat's body is painted dark brown; When bamboo “spring” is compressed, the rat drops both its tail and head, thereby representing a caricature of lean times, showing rat trying to eat from empty rice bowl; This toy was first made in 1830 as an ironic but humorous comment on the great famine that occurred that year; Its production was resumed again after it appeared on the Chinese New Year’s stamp in 1960. | |
| Dimensions (cm) | Height = 7.1, Width = 5.7, Depth = 9.8 | |