Zentner Collection: Antique Japanese Tansu, Asian Works of Art
Japanese pair of porcelain Inari kitsune (foxes). Glazed and painted they sit on brightly colored bases, one with a scroll, the other with a ball in it's mouth.
Also called zenko, these good spirit kitsune are specifically associated with the goddess, Inari. Believed to be both messengers and guardians, kitsune served Inari in her role as goddess of agriculture, specifically rice. Part of the folklore surrounding the fox is it’s ability to shape shift into human form. It is believed that Inari Okami herself sometimes took the form of a kitsune.

Dimensions: 12" high x 6 1/2" wide x 3 1/2" deep
2850.00
item #1491513