Vintage · Made in Japan · one of one
Shigaraki ware · dry earthen finish · 26.5 cm
Shigaraki Tanuki Figurine
A Shigaraki tanuki, 26.5 cm tall, with the dry, earthen skin of the clay he is made from.
$190 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 a new business · a new home · luck and protection · a collector
Leaves Fukuoka within three business days by EMS, with tracking.
The story: Shigaraki wareWatch the 47-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
For centuries Shigaraki was known for jars, pots and tea bowls, not tanuki. Then, in the first half of the twentieth century, a local potter named Fujiwara Tetsuzō, who is credited with the first Shigaraki tanuki, began making a round, grinning raccoon dog in a straw hat. Within a few decades his tanuki was standing outside shops and noodle bars all over Japan, and it had become the face of the town.
The tanuki of folk tales is a shape-shifter and a trickster. Fujiwara's version kept the grin and lost the tricks: a creature who welcomes guests and hopes business is good.
The craft
Shigaraki, in Kōka city, Shiga prefecture, is one of Japan's six ancient kiln towns. This piece is made from high-density clay and keeps the rough texture of the ground it came from, the thing Shigaraki is known for.
Living with it
He suits an entrance, a shop counter or a shelf where people pass. If you have ever opened a door for the first time on a place of your own, you will know why he stands there. A good thing to give a friend who has opened a shop or moved house.
• Shigaraki ware, high-density clay • 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.