Japan Tanuki Sake Flask - Ceramic Raccoon Dog Tokkuri

Description

Unique ceramic Japanese Tanuki sake flask (tokkuri). This flask is less than 30 years old and is in fine condition with no chips or cracks and only a few marks and scratches from handling.

Size:
Height: 5.0 inches (12.8 cm)
Weight: 4.2 ounces (119 grams)

More about Tanuki

The Tanuki or "Raccoon Dog" is a well known and very popular character in Japanese art, song and especially children's literature. Tanuki are, in fact, real animals resembling raccoons in both size and general appearance. The animal's habitat includes most of the Japanese islands as well as much of central Asia and even parts of Eastern Europe (they have even been spotted in Germany!). The Japanese have long used the image of the Tanuki as a symbol of the dangers of overindulgence in alcohol. A famous and very commonly seen type of Tanuki statue features a pot-bellied male specimen standing on two feet with an empty purse in one hand and an empty jug of sake in the other. The animals genitals are distinctly visible with a rather shrunken penis and grotesquely swollen testes. The message behind this curious image is that an excess of sake will leave one with an empty purse and full libido yet diminished ability to perform. Perhaps this story explains why Tanuki statues are a common sight at the entrance to many Japanese bars and nightclubs.

item code: R1S5-0005600
ship code: L1650

Category:

People & Blogs

Tags:

• Japan
• Tanuki
• Sake
• Flask
• Ceramic
• Raccoon
• Dog
• Tokkuri
• Tokaido
• Softypapa