- VERY old, highly oxidized, thick patina, Japanese Statue
- This little guy has had several generations of love-taps, for good luck, on this head on a daily basis.
- Missing one hand and his golden mallet
- Sculpture itself stands approximately 4.25" T and is 2,25" Deep and 3" Wide
- I package well and ship out daily!
- Depicting Daikokuten 大黒天
- In Japan, Daikokuten (大黒天), the god of great darkness or blackness, or the god of five cereals, is one of the Seven Lucky Gods (Fukujin).
- Daikokuten evolved from the Buddhist form of the Indian deity Shiva intertwined with the Shinto god Ōkuninushi.
- The name is the Japanese equivalent of Mahākāla, the Hindu name for Shiva.
- The god enjoys an exalted position as a household deity in Japan.
- Daikoku's association with wealth and prosperity precipitated a custom known as fukunusubi, or "theft of fortune".
- This custom started with the belief that whoever stole divine figures was assured of good fortune if not caught in the act.
- The toshi-no-ichi (year-end market) held at Sensō-ji became the main venue of the sale and disposal of such images by the fortune-seekers.
- Many small stalls were opened where articles including images of Daikoku were sold on the eve of New Year celebrations.
- The Japanese also maintain the symbol of Mahakala as a monogram.
- The traditional pilgrims climbing the holy Mount Ontake wear tenugui (a kind of white scarf) with the seed syllable of Mahakala.
- Daikoku is variously considered to be the god of wealth, or of the household, particularly the kitchen.
- He is recognized by his wide face, smile, and a flat black hat.
- He is often portrayed holding a golden mallet called Uchide no kozuchi, otherwise known as the "mallet of fortune", and is seen seated on bales of rice, with rats nearby signifying plentiful food.
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