Okayadokari (Coenobita)

Because of the complicated structure of the spiral shell, the hermit crab is very difficult to model. There are some very fine examples of articulated hermit crabs from the Edo period, including a hermit crab in the collection of the British Museum. The spiral conch shell was a popular design for samurai helmets, because its hard shell represents armor or good protection. A fine hammered iron helmet in spiral shell form is in the collection of the Walters Art Museum, Baltimore. The conch shell, horagai in Japanese, is an important symbol in Buddhism and is one of the Eight Buddhist Emblems. It is seen as a symbol of the extended sound of the transmission of Buddhist teachings, and is particularly associated with Tibetan Buddhism.