*SHIPPING OPTIONS VARY DEPENDING ON THE DESTINATION, PLEASE SCROLL TO THE END OF THIS LISTING FOR MORE DETAILS.

This listing is for a namahage wall hanging made around 5 years ago. It is made of plaster and painted bright colours like folk crafts from the 1950s and 60s. The loop at the top and the bottom part is made out of rice straw, and it is designed to sit nice and flat on the wall. This item is an amulet for bringing luck, the kanji reads as ‘mayoke’ which means to drive bad luck out.  It would make a great gift for namahage fans or for those with an interest in curious beasts.

Namahage are demon-like beings from Japanese folklore. They are usually portrayed by young men wearing oversized ogre masks and traditional straw capes during New Year, and then again during a large festival in February. During the New Year ritual, namahage make the rounds of houses in their villages. They burst into these houses searching for new community members such as young wives and children. They shout out menacing cries such as: "Any children crying?" "Are any children disobeying their parents?" or "Any lazy daughters-in-law neglecting their work?" The namahage are then offered sake and mochi, prompting them to take leave of that house and move to the next. Traditionally the red mask represents a male demon whilst the blue or green mask is symbolic of a female demon.                                                                                                                       

Size

L.26.5cm (10.4”) x 10cm (3.9”) across                                                                                     

Condition

It’s in very good condition aside from the big curl in the rice straw on the bottom part.  Place something heavy on it for a few days (or more) to flatten it.                                       

THESE ARE SHIPPING ESTIMATES BASED ON THE CURRENT GLOBAL SITUATION                                                                 

**Germany, France, Greece, Spain, Poland, Austria, Slovakia, Lithuania, Slovenia:  NO SHIPPING.  Very strict and expensive packaging laws in place and we are not licensed to send products to these countries.  We have no plan to register at this time because the process is in some cases very expensive and complicated, plus each country has its own set of regulations and application process. 

**USA, UK, Canada, Australia, New Zealand, Switzerland, Norway: Airmail Small Packet (approx. 15-28 days).  Combined shipping available up to 2kgs for Airmail Small Packet (please send us a message).

**Asia:  Airmail Small Packet (approx. 15-21 days).  Combined shipping available up to 2kgs for Airmail Small Packet (please send us a message).

**Central Asia, Middle East, South Africa, Brazil, Mexico:  EMS Express 10-15 days.

**Russia:  No shipping methods available.