Vintage · Made in Japan · one of one
Porcelain · overglaze enamel and gold leaf · 34 cm
Kutani Karajishi on a Ball
A Kutani karajishi, the Tang lion, standing with its front paws on a decorative ball. A substantial piece: 34 cm tall and about three kilograms.
$360 Free shipping to 32 countries
Order by December 8 to make sure it arrives before Christmas.
We ship to mainland China: free, tracked. Import duties, if any, are paid on delivery. Where we ship
A gift for luck and protection · a new home · a collector
Leaves Fukuoka within three business days by EMS, with tracking.
Condition report
- Era
- 1990s
- Condition
- Excellent vintage condition
Want a closer look at a mark or an edge? Ask for more photographs.
The story: Kutani wareWatch the 64-second film, or read it →What buyers say · ★★★★★ on Etsy
“Received updates regarding the item I purchased and when it arrived could tell that it was packed with care; my fragile ceramic bunny arrived in perfect condition! A wonderful purchase and I would buy from this shop again”
Jessica · United States
1 more from buyers
“Item was as described and in photos shown. Excellent quality. Seller very knowledgable and took the time to explain everything”
Tiang N. · Australia
- Made in Japan. Made in Japan, found in Japan, and sent to you from Fukuoka.
- One of one. This exact piece, photographed in our studio in Fukuoka.
- Returns within 14 days of delivery. Not right? Send it back as it came and we refund the full price, return postage included.
- Packed safely, sent by EMS within three business days, fully insured, with tracking.
Duties, checkout and extras
- ★ 5.0 on Etsy · Star Seller. Read the reviews ↗
- Import tax. It depends on your country; if any is due, it is collected on delivery.
- US import duties. Already included in the price: nothing to pay at your door.
- Secure checkout by Stripe — cards, Apple Pay, Google Pay. No account needed.
- Two pieces, one parcel. Each extra piece in the same order is $15 off at checkout.
- Orders of $200 or more travel with a gift to keep: Japanese chopsticks with a rest in a paulownia box, or a Nara kaya-cloth handkerchief.
The story
There is an old saying in Japan: shishi no ko-otoshi, the lion drops its cub. The story goes that a lion mother, a few days after giving birth, pushes her cubs over the edge of a deep ravine. Then she waits at the top. Only the cub that climbs all the way back up is the one she raises.
Nobody has ever seen a lion do this, of course. Japan has no lions. But the saying stuck, and parents still use it about letting a child struggle a little, for the child's own good.
Karajishi are guardian figures, placed at the entrances of temples and shrines to keep harmful forces out. Inside a house, a karajishi is said to protect the space and bring good fortune.
The craft
Kutani ware, porcelain from Ishikawa. The mane and the patterns on the ball are worked in overglaze enamel and gold leaf.
Living with it
A hall table, a cabinet near the front door, a study. At 34 cm it needs its own space. If you are a parent who has had to stand back and let someone climb, you know this lion. A gift for a graduation or a first home.
• Kutani porcelain, overglaze enamel and gold leaf • Vintage • Made in Japan
How it travels
Packed safely, insured in full
Every piece is packed by hand in Fukuoka inside a sturdy 3 mm corrugated carton, cushioned all round with air pillows so it cannot move. It travels with tracking all the way to your door: by EMS, insured for its full value, on orders of $100 or more, and by tracked airmail below that.
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A question about this piece — size, marks, condition? Ask the house, we answer within a day.