Painted wood badger ornament. Two badger figures with kokeshi style bobbing heads stand on green platform, with black and white screen behind. Smaller badger on left has white kimono and black hakama, brown head with black and white features, larger figure on right wears orange kimono with yellow floral design and green obi. She holds batton with white end in front stands round red object. Badger (Tanuki) Lore When the badger becomes 1000 years old, it can work magic, produce mirages, and change itself into all kinds of inanimate and human forms. It is connected with Buddhism when it takes the form of Buddha, a boddhisattva, priest, nun, pilgrim or a Buddhist speaking statue. Wicked priests turn back into badgers when they die. Considered to be very skillful with a brush, badgers often decorate writing implements. The badger leads people astray on moonlit nights by beating on its huge belly, as on a temple drum to make enticing rhythmic music and then disappears. The badger is more bent on mishchievious tricks than real evil. (Japanese Animal Art, Antique & Contemporary by Lea Batten, p. 46)

1996.010.024