19th Century Japanese Kutani Porcelain Daikoku God Statue

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19th Century Japanese Kutani Porcelain Daikoku God Statue:
$5000.00

This is a rare and beautiful Japanese kutani porcelain statue of Daikoku, one of the Japanese Seven Gods of Fortune.
The statue measures 20\" by 9\" with the hammer\'s tip at 23.\" It weighs 20lbs and is in excellent condition, with no visible scratches or marks. The colors are vivid, and the shades of red, dark red, purple, blue, black, yellow, and gold are bright and unfaded. It\'s truly a unique piece because of the amount of details in the decoration, which you can see in the photos.
The signature on the bottom of the statue kutani (Nine Valleys) and dates it to c. 1900. It is incised to the bottom of the statue.
The word \"Kutani\" means Nine Valleys and is the name of an area and a village. The characters that make up the word consist of the character for \"nine\" and \"valley.\" Almost all pieces marked Kutani were decorated there. In the mid-1800s the Kutani name was again revived by a number of skilled craftsmen working in different styles, working with enamels and gold brocade.More information about Daikoku:
The god enjoys an exalted position as a household deity in Japan. Daikoku\'s association with wealth and prosperity precipitated a custom known as fuku-nusubi, or \"theft of fortune\". This custom started with the belief that he who stole divine figures (gods and goddesses) was assured of good fortune, if not caught in the act of stealing. In the course of time, stealing divine images became so common a practice in Japan that the Toshi-no-ichi or the \"year-end-market\" held in the Asakusa Kannon temple became the main venue of the sale and disposal of such images by the fortune-seekers. Many small stalls were opened where articles including images of Daikoku were sold on the eve of New Year celebrations.
Daikoku is variously considered to be the god of wealth, or of the household, particularly the kitchen. He is recognised by his wide face, smile, and a flat black hat. He is often portrayed holding a golden mallet called an Uchide no kozuchi, otherwise known as a magic money mallet, and is seen seated on bales of rice, with mice nearby (mice signify plentiful food).
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