Jizai okimono sculpture of an articulated bronze grasshopper.

Insects (mushi) play an important role in Japanese culture. Insect hunting is a popular pastime, especially among children. Using nets and cages, they catch cicadas, beetles and other insects for observation.  Indeed, mushi can be seen as familiar animals, playing a role in a child’s upbringing: at first, the child will play with the ladybug, progressing as his or her education progresses to the complex task of hunting dragonflies, which requires a certain amount of skill.

Below, traces of the Amemiya sou (雨宮宗) factory seal.

Japan – Meiji era (1868-1912), Amemiya sou

Width: 1.2 in (3.9 cm) – depth: 5.9 in (15 cm) – height: 0.8 in (2.2 cm)