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 SMP Silver Salon Forums
 Silver Jewelry
 Unusual Japanese charm/fob
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| Author | Topic: Unusual Japanese charm/fob |
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Paul Lemieux Posts: 1792 |
posted 01-19-2006 11:05 PM
  
Pictured below is an unusual circa 1880s fob or charm I believe is either Japanese or depicts a Japanese character. The charm's shape is gourd-like. It is made mostly of silver, but on the front is an inlaid copper face. The ring at the top is also copper. On the back of the charm is a recessed area with a stippled finish. The base of the charm is flat and circular, as if the fob was intended to be a wax seal; however, the three-letter stacked monogram on this piece was not executed in mirror image, so it was not used as a seal. There are no marks to be found, in spite of the fine quality. A couple years ago, I handled some 1940s charms that were quite similar; however, the bodies were made of Bakelite and the faces were inlaid brown celluloid. Does anybody know who or what this charm depicts? IP: Logged |
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IJP Posts: 326 |
posted 01-20-2006 06:43 PM
Hi there, Paul... The charm looks exactly like the Japanese Daruma figure (from the Sanskrit Dharma). It depicts the founder of Zen Buddhism, who meditated for so long that his arms and legs fell off. In Japan, it is common to see dolls like this, usually red in color. The doll is typically weighted at the bottom, so that when tipped over, it automatically rights itself... I've heard that this demonstrates the Japanese proverb Nana korobi yaoki - "If you fall seven times, get up eight." There's a good deal of folklore and superstition attached to this figure. A simple google search would bring up a wealth of information, as well as images. [This message has been edited by IJP (edited 01-20-2006).] IP: Logged |
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Paul Lemieux Posts: 1792 |
posted 01-20-2006 07:12 PM
Thank you, IJP! IP: Logged |
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