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

This listing is for a large mid-Showa Period ema from Toshogu Shrine in Nikko.  It is hand-painted and made to commemorate the Year of the Chicken.  The kanji on the back says Nikko Toshogu Shrine and the kanji on the front reads as ‘goshinboku’.  Goshinboku translates as ‘honourable sacred tree’, and are essentially regarded as religious artefacts. Such trees are said to mark the spots where deities have ascended to earth and now dwell.  At shrines, the trunks of goshinboku have plaited rice straw rope tied around them with white zigzag paper called ‘shide’.  Ema such as the one in this listing are made from goshinboku that have perished due to age or things such as lightning strikes.

An ema is a traditional wooden votive prayer on which Shinto and Buddhist worshippers inscribe their wishes or prayers. Ema typically depict figures and zodiac animals, and they are hung at shrines and temples in the hope that the gods receive them and answer their prayers. The very first ema were said to be painted pictures of horses which were offered to shrines in place of real horses. The tradition of donating horses goes back to one of the first emperors of Japan, down in Kyoto. This was done to appease the gods when the weather wasn’t cooperating – a white horse was given to ease unseasonably heavy rainfall, and a black horse was offered to curb a drought. Traditionally ema were very large in size and often painted by well-known artists and craftsmen. During the Edo period they began to change in size due to the number ordinary people travelling around the country visiting shrines and temples. These everyday folks were not so wealthy so shrines began to offer small wood framed ema as an alternative. This particular type were either hand painted by artists, or by those commissioned by the shrine. Sadly not many remain as most of them were burned in ritual fires at the end of each year.                                                                                                                               

Size

23.5cm (9.2”) from top to bottom x 36cm (14.1”) across x 2.5cm (0.9”) wide                        

Condition

There is discolouration, scratches/scuffing, some water stains on the paint, shallow nicks/dents, wear along edges, six wood borer holes on the back, and two minor splits in the wood.                                                                                                                               

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.