Antique Japanese soapstone okimono of a beautiful lady emerging from a clam shell. The legend of Hamaguri nyōbō ("lady in shell") tells of a clam who changes itself into a woman and marries the fisherman who threw her back into the sea after catching her in his net. For as long as the fisherman doesn't know that she is actually a clam, she can continue on as his wife. Here she is in mid transformation, her naked form emerging from the shell, long hair flowing. In her hand she holds a pearl.

Age: Meiji Period (1868-1912)

Dimensions: 3 1/2" long x 1 3/4" wide