Asianart.com | Associations | Articles | Exhibitions | Galleries

Hi,

I was given these two tiny little silver Japanese objects. They were called "netsuke" or "key chains" interchangeably. They're smaller than a pea but represent the snake and monkey, so I'm guessing Chinese zodiac?

If anyone could help translate the text on the boxes and on the rice paper notes, it would be much obliged.

Notes say,
Silver zodiac "netsuke" "Snake" "Monkey" resp.
The prototypes were made by the goldsmith Kashima Ikkoku　３rd gen., Important Intangible Cultural Property, Living Treasure
Inscription on boxes,
No.1,
昭和五十四年一月七日まで
平成元年一月八日より　　
巳年
Until the ７th January, the 54th Year of Shōwa and from
the 8th January, the 1st Year of Heisei
(1989)
Year of Snake
- From the 7th to the 8th of January 1989 was the day of era change From Shōwa to Heisei -
No.2,
平成四年　-　4th Year of Heisei (1992)
申年　　-　Year of Monkey

With regards,
I.Nagy

Asianart.com | Associations | Articles | Exhibitions | Galleries |