3976 – Fox Spirit Statuette

Physical description:

A small plastic statuette of a Shinto white fox spirit. The fox is predominantly white, but has a black tip to his tail, red inside his ears, black whiskers and tip to his nose, and a red mouth and eye lashes. His eyes are almost closed and he has a slightly ironic smile.

Museum classification:

Protection (Good Luck)

Size:

95 x 47 x 75

Information:

From a shrine in Tokyo.

These foxes are used as offerings in Shinto shrines in Japan. The foxes are provided to worshippers for a small payment, and the person then writes a wish or prayer on the front of the fox, using a black felt-tip pen provided for the purpose. The fox is then placed on a shelf in the shrine.

Fox spirits are thought to be messengers or manifestations of the Shinto deity of rice, Inari.

These fox statuettes are similar to the beckoning cat statuettes that are now often seen on display in shops and other businesses across the world, but which originated as offerings in the Gotokuji Temple in Tokyo (though this is a Buddhist, rather than Shinto, temple). The cats represent a cat who saved a traveller from being struck by lightning by beckoning him into the temple. It is believed that the cat was inspired by the deity of mercy Kuan Yin.

In Japanese tradition both foxes and cats are considered magical and spiritual creatures.

 

Resource:

Object

Materials:

Plastic

From a shrine in Tokyo.

These foxes are used as offerings in Shinto shrines in Japan. The foxes are provided to worshippers for a small payment, and the person then writes a wish or prayer on the front of the fox, using a black felt-tip pen provided for the purpose. The fox is then placed on a shelf in the shrine.

Fox spirits are thought to be messengers or manifestations of the Shinto deity of rice, Inari.

These fox statuettes are similar to the beckoning cat statuettes that are now often seen on display in shops and other businesses across the world, but which originated as offerings in the Gotokuji Temple in Tokyo (though this is a Buddhist, rather than Shinto, temple). The cats represent a cat who saved a traveller from being struck by lightning by beckoning him into the temple. It is believed that the cat was inspired by the deity of mercy Kuan Yin.

In Japanese tradition both foxes and cats are considered magical and spiritual creatures.