Sculpture or okimono in bronze of a wavy catfish emerging from calm water, scales are not represented,and its expression of eyes and mouth could be considered naive. One other interesting interpretation could be that itis lying in the mud at the bottom of a stream. Since the XVIIth century, a Japanese myth presents the namazu(鯰) or also called ōnamazu(大鯰) a gigantic catfish living in the mud of the depth of the earth, on its spine is Japan. Previously itwas thought to be a dragon. The namazuis boisterous and its sudden and unpredictablemovement tend to cause the earthquake of which Japan is so often a victim. The god Takemikazuchi (武甕槌) or GodKashima (鹿島神, Kashima no kami) is the only that can keep it in its place thanks to its spade and by locking its head with a huge rock named kaname-ishi(要石, quite litteraly«keystone»). Sometimes the god can’t keep its concentration and the namazutake advantage of it to escape and trigger new earthquake. After the three earthquakes of theAnseiperiod in 1854 and 1855 the Namazuwas often represented in ukiyo-e(estampes) named namazu-e.Besides Takemikazuchi,he is then often accompanied by the godDaikoku(大黒天, Daikokuten)that is distributing riches to the victims.

Japan –Taishoera (1912-1928)Length:12,5 cm –width:3,75cm-height: 2.5cmweight: 171 Grams