Institute for Biodiversity Science and Sustainability

CAS Anthropology Collections Database


Catalog Number CAS 1993-0001-0160A,B   CAS 1993-0001-0160A,B; Figurine (fish with bamboo rod)
Category Folk Toys
Object Name Figurine (fish with bamboo rod)
Culture Japanese
Global Region East Asia
Country Japan
State/Prov./Dist. Tochigi Prefecture
County
Other Geographic Data City: Utsunomiya
Maker's Name Unknown
Date of Manufacture ca. 1970s
Collection Name Kadota Collection (Japanese Folk Toys)
Materials Papier mâché [paper mache]; Bamboo; Paint; String
Description Papier mâché figurine of a gibel, a fish with a yellow body and red head, dark green tail, and black dorsal and lateral fins; Fish is suspended from a short bamboo rod by means of a string threaded through its dorsal fin; According to a Japanese legend, smallpox may be cured by eating yellow gibel, so this toy is traditionally hung in doorways on New Year’s Day in this region.
Dimensions (cm) Height = 9.6, Width = 6.0, Length = 14.3