Antique sculpture - incense burner "Ebisu on the carp". Made of bronze. Japan, XX century.

Ebisu was the god of the morning sun and the patron saint of children. Over time, this character became a trading deity in Japan. The fish in the hands of Ebisu began to be perceived as a symbolic reward for honesty in trade affairs. Some netsuke depict a smiling bearded Ebisu embracing the fish he caught with his hands. Such a figure was associated with an old proverb that claimed that it was difficult to catch a sacred carp with bare hands in clear water.