Posted 20 days ago
Jen-Lee
(1 item)
I found this cheerful little pig and monkey sculpture at a thrift store. It is small, maybe 3 or 4 inches. I liked the fun energy of it. I think perhaps it could have to do with Japanese folk culture, but I really don't know. I tried searching online for it, but I can't find anything. I thought maybe someone here might know. There are no marks or labels on it anywhere.
Interesting. You get four images. Can we see images of the back and sides?
I did not realize I could add more. I just uploaded three more photos.
There is a Japanese parable about monkeys and a pig:
https://www.nga.gov/features/life-of-animals-in-japanese-art.html
"Monkeys may also embody heroic qualities. Here, the monkey king Son Gok? wears a tiger skin and—wielding a magic wand—transforms his fur into an army of small monkeys to battle Chohakkai (at top). This pig later becomes a friend and joins him on a quest to locate sacred scriptures in India."
Oh, thank you for this info! I felt there was some connection to folklore, and what you describe here seems to describe this object! Enemies to friends. That is a good message. Thank you again for your help with this. I would still like to know where this object came from and when it was made, but I am content to understand its symbolism.