Dark brown patina bronze sculpture of a cricket. Its body is enhanced by wood painted in red, dark brown and black.

The insect’s sound is reminiscent of a bell, hence its name in Japanese suzumushi, meaning “bell insect”.

The Myotokuzan-Kegonji temple in Kyoto, also known as Suzumushi-dera, was founded in 1723. It is renowned for its cricket songs, which can be heard all year round, thanks to the monk Shoen Katsura. Enthralled by their singing, he saw them as embodying Buddhist values and raised them to be heard continuously. Usually, it is only possible to hear cricket songs in autumn: the males singing for around twenty days.

The cricket’s left antenna is missing.

Japan – Taisho era (1912-1926)

Height: 0.79 in / 2.6 cm – width: 1.18 in / 3 cm – depth: 1.6 in / 4.4 cm