Okimono; Japan, Meiji period, 1868-1912.

Okimono; Japan, Meiji period, 1868-1912.
Carved wood.
Measurements: 9 x 10,5 x 10,5 x 10 cm; 2,5 x 8,5 x 6,5 cm (stand).
This carved wooden okimono depicts Jurojin, one of the seven gods of fortune. His face remains inside a peach, which deftly opens to the viewer revealing the face of the protagonist. Jurojin represents wealth and longevity and his symbol is the peaches he usually carries on his staff.
The Japanese term okimono means "object for display", "art object" or "decorative object". Such objects are traditionally placed in the tokonoma, a prominent place in the home, usually in the form of a niche, or on the Buddhist home altar. The okimono is exclusively decorative and during the Meiji period many okimono were made for export to the West.