antique kamidana inari foxes

Love Japanese Style Like We Do

A pair of old metal Inari foxes. Inari foxes are said to be messengers to the Shinto Inari God and guardians to Inari shrines. A pair of foxes are usually placed either side of the kamidana (Japanese household shrine) and can also be seen at the entrance to Inari shrines.

The foxes sit side on, faces turned to the front, long tails pointing upwards, with one arm resting atop a flaming houju lucky jewel. One fox holds a symbolic scroll in its mouth. The foxes rest on a rectangular stand which is also decorated with a houju symbol on the front. The makers seal is on the back.

The metal alloy foxes have tarnished to a deeper color, particularly on the front, giving them a great rustic feel and making them aesthetically pleasing for display with antique kamidana shrines.

- each fox measures around 14 cm (5.5”) tall x 8 cm (3.1”) across.
- weighs 750 gm.

(listing for pair of metal foxes)

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We list pieces we feel are worthy of display. There may be scratches, dents, fading and signs of wear and tear. We try to explain the condition of each item exactly, but may miss something.

Information regarding the item and it’s age is obtained from dealers and our personal research. We do our best to give you the correct information but please be aware that we cannot guarantee this information.

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INARI FOX
Inari is the name of the Japanese Shinto god who watches over and protects the rice harvest.  As rice has long been the staple food of the Japanese, this god is very important. There are more than 20,000 Inari shrines in Japan.  Inari’s messenger is the magical, shape-shifting fox or kitsune. In paintings of Inari, images of foxes are usually seen sitting either side of this god. Pairs of foxes also guard the entrance to Inari shrines.  Inari messenger foxes possess the ability to hear and see all human activities as well as to transform into human form, usually a bewitching woman! Inari fox messengers are said to grow in power as they age and will only gain a tail, which is a symbol of power, after reaching the ripe old age of 100.  Fox messengers are most powerful after they have lived for 1000 years at which point they may have a total of nine tails, grey or white fur and will have attained the power of infinite vision.

HOUJU
The "Houju" is used in Buddhist artwork as decoration. Houju are either depicted in a ball or onion shape. Sometimes they are depicted with a flaming halo. Houju symbolize the power of purification and are believed to fulfill wishes. The kanji used for houju means treasure and jewel.

The large number of figures in Buddhism made it difficult to tell the difference between them when they were depicted visually. As a solution to this problem, a number of items called "jimotsu" (held things) were created to help tell the difference between the many figures.  One such item was the Houju.  

The Houju is held by several deities.  One popular figure that holds a Houju is "Jizo".  Jizo is a bodhisattva who saves souls after someone dies.  Jizo is venerated as the guardian of children; specifically unborn, aborted, miscarried, and stillborn babies. Offerings are made by parents to thank Jizo for saving their children from serious illness. It is thought that children who die prematurely are denied entry to the Pure Land because they haven’t lived long enough to build up enough good karma. The Jizo is credited with smuggling these unfortunate souls into the Pure Land beneath his robes.

As stated the shape for the houju is that of a ball or an onion. However, it can also be associated with a peach shape and perhaps stems back to several sources.  One is a classical Chinese novel "Journey to the West" (1592) which was very popular in Japan and East Asia.  The plot involved a monkey king who ate the peaches of immortality from the heavenly peach garden.  The monkey king successfully fought a celestial army but was finally stopped by Buddha.  This well know piece of literature had a strong connection to Buddhism and it is thought to have influenced Buddhist art and architecture.  

Japan also has many stories referring to peaches, perhaps the most famous being the story of Momotaro (The Peach Boy).   Momotaro was born from a mysterious giant peach that was floating along a river. Momtaro grew up to be strong and exhibited heroism.  As a result, Momotaro's attributes were associated with peaches.

Also, ancient Japanese mythology references peaches in the story of Izanagi and Izanami (sometimes referred to as the Japanese version of Adam and Eve).  As Izanmi was fleeing "Yomi" (the world of the dead) he used three peaches to stop his pursuers.  As a result, Izanagi declared the peach to be divine and ordered it to grow in the land of the living to help people when in need.