Antique sculpture of the god Ebisu with a carp. Bone. Asia, the twentieth century.

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