Manu Propria Pens - Katatsumuri Negoro

[Manupropria]

Another finished pen with a I call it "katatsumuri negoro-nuri. Under the red lacquer coat three stylized "katatsumuri" snails are painted with black urushi which appeared after grinding and polishing.

There is a famous Japanese theater play called Kagyû (The Snail): the servant Tarokaja has been sent out to find snails for his master (a rare delicacy) but he has never seen or heard of them before so he inquires about them from the first stranger he runs into. This stranger turns out to be an unscrupulous yamabushi who manages to convince Tarokaja that the yamabushi is himself "the mother of all snails." In this photograph, the yamabushi laughs uproariously at the success of his joke.

Cheers,

Martin
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[jar]

Is that a modern yamabushi (retired salaryman told to get outta the house for a week and don't come back until you have acquired knowledge or some hobby that will get you out from under foot) or the traditional?

[Manupropria]

It is a traditional play from the Edo Period

[earthdawn]

Beautiful work.