Vintage · Made in Japan · one of one
Japanese dorei · unglazed clay, hand-painted · set of seven
Seven Lucky Clay Bells, a Set
Seven hand-painted clay bells, each one a small charm: two tanuki, one in a straw travelling hat; a fox from Toyokawa Inari; a round green frog; two smiling lucky gods; and a round-faced girl in pink.
$160 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.
The story: Clay bellsRead the story →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
In Edo-period Japan, a journey was a real risk. People walked for weeks to reach a famous shrine, and not everyone came home. So travellers carried a little frog in their purse. In Japanese, kaeru means both "frog" and "to come back". The frog was a wish that you would return safely, and that the money you spent on the road would find its way back to you too.
The others in this set have their own jobs. The tanuki is the shopkeeper's friend, kept by the door for good business. The fox is the messenger of Inari, god of rice and plenty.
The craft
These are dorei: bells of unglazed clay with a loose clay pellet inside, painted by hand. They do not ring so much as rattle, a dry, small, friendly sound. They are sold at shrines and temples across Japan.
Living with it
Hang one by the door, or keep the whole set in a row on a shelf, where they look like a small parade. If someone in your family travels a lot, the frog alone is worth sending. Collectors of Japanese folk toys will know exactly what these are.
• Unglazed clay, hand-painted • Vintage
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.
A question about this piece — size, marks, condition? Ask the house, we answer within a day.