Vintage composition “Clapper with a rat”. Made of bronze. The set includes a tomobako - a special box for transporting and storing the sculpture. Japan, 1970s.

This symbolic item is associated with the legend of the Japanese god Daikoku, the patron of the hearth. His image in the house (or, in this case, the image of his attributes) is a guarantee of happiness, wealth, protection from evil energy. Daikoku is depicted with a mallet in his hands and a bag of rice, sometimes his companion sits there - a rat, which is also one of the prosperous symbols of Japan. God Daikoku is a lover of life, a merry fellow, a kind soul, and loves dancing. During the dance, he beats with a mallet, which drives away evil creatures and invites wealth, dreams, and hope into the house. The rice in his bags is wealth from heaven, the rat must gnaw holes in his bags so that the rice falls into the hands of those who ask for help.