Lot Essay
Shojo are mythical creatures with long red hair, fond of wine to the point of intoxication and usually found on the seashore. Probably originating in the Sarugaku dance, Shojo is also the title of a Noh play in which Kofu, the owner of a wine shop, and Shojo dance together. Coral is used in this netsuke to indicate the flushed face of a drunkard.
The design of the inu bariko (dog shaped box) is the familiar papier-mache box in the shape of a stylized dog. According to Joly, the inu bariko was originally a dog with a human head to ward off evil influences from a newborn child, but commonly degenerated into the receptacle for the paper handkerchiefs of the Joro's toilette intime.
The design of the inu bariko (dog shaped box) is the familiar papier-mache box in the shape of a stylized dog. According to Joly, the inu bariko was originally a dog with a human head to ward off evil influences from a newborn child, but commonly degenerated into the receptacle for the paper handkerchiefs of the Joro's toilette intime.