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Maker(s):Unknown
Culture:Japanese
Title:Ashinaga and Tenaga
Date Made:18th or 19th century
Type:Netsuke/Inro/Ojima
Materials:Ivory; carved with pigment
Place Made:Asia; Japan
Measurements:Overall: 5 3/16 in x 1 5/16 in x 5/8 in; 13.2 cm x 3.3 cm x 1.6 cm
Narrative Inscription:  No inscription.
Accession Number:  MH 1986.30.32
Credit Line:William Richter Collection, Gift of Margaret Ruth Richter (Class of 1939)
Museum Collection:  Mount Holyoke College Art Museum
mh_1986_30_32_v1_01.jpg

Description:
Japanese netsuke. A male figure with long arms (Tenaga) on the back of a standing male figure with long legs (Ashinaga). There is one hole on the back for functional use.

Label Text:
According to Japanese legend, Ashinaga and Tenaga were anthropomorphic creatures that resided near the sea. Tenaga’s long arms were ideal for catching fish, while Ashinaga possessed long legs, allowing him to wade into the waters far from shore. Together they formed a symbiotic relationship with Tenaga astride the shoulders of Ashinaga, an arrangement that permitted them to catch many more fish. The two are always portrayed with exotic hairstyles, emphasizing their mythical stature.

Tags:
legends

Link to share this object record:
https://museums.fivecolleges.edu/detail.php?t=objects&type=ext&id_number=MH+1986.30.32

Research on objects in the collections, including provenance, is ongoing and may be incomplete. If you have additional information or would like to learn more about a particular object, please email fc-museums-web@fivecolleges.edu.

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