Antique Japanese carved boxwood jizai-okimono of a dragon. Literally meaning "decorative object, moves at will", this jizai-okimono is made up of many separately carved moving pieces. There are differing theories about why these articulated creatures came to be made, the most accepted being that the armorers who normally created suits started crafting jizai-okimono as a way to show off their skills to daimyos in hopes of being chosen next time their armor needed to be replaced. During the Meiji period, after samurai armor was no longer needed for battle, jizai-okimono continued to be made out of other non-metal material.

Age: Meiji Period (1868-1912)

Dimensions: 21 1/2" long