A nice find. demons and a geisha? Fuchi and manuki.

[jason_mazzy]

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

[jason_mazzy]

 

 

 

 

 

 

[jason_mazzy]

ps looking for a kashira for that fuchi

[cabowen]

not geisha....

[jason_mazzy]

some sort of lady figure (or feminine man).

[bone]

Not geisha but still reeeeaally cool. There's a festival where they wear masks... God! I hate my dying memory.

Someone help me out here.

[cabowen]

Some sort of sage or Buddhist diety...the lotus is a hint...

[bone]

Ākāśagarbha? Maybe?

[jason_mazzy]

nuwa (japans version Amaterasu (天照), Amaterasu-ōmikami (天照大神 or 天照大御神 ,Japanese: “Great Divinity Illuminating Heaven”)

[jason_mazzy]

any other guesses?

[Lance]

Aside from Nuwa, the female menuki could be Kwannon: Goddess of mercy, coincidentally Jason mentioned a female or feminine looking figure, Kwannon (female) is also referred to as Kannon (male)

 

http://www.onmarkproductions.com/html/kannon.shtml

 

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Guanyin

 

The other menuki looks to be a Nio (temple guardian) usually come in pairs since as guardians there would be one on each side of temple doorways.

http://www.onmarkproductions.com/html/nio.shtml

 

 

The fuchi looks to have something to do with a festival called Setsubun that takes place in February(?) where beans are thrown out windows or doorways to scare off evil spirits/demons; the little gold dots on your fuchi look like beans with the gold and red Oni comically running each other over to get away, with the third just an outline already escaping.

 

http://www.omniglot.com/language/articl ... rowing.htm

 

Hope this is of some use.

Regards,

Lance

[Marius]

any other guesses?

 

Tara Bosatsu?

http://tinyurl.com/2vf8bv

 

She holds a lotus flower:

http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/c ... udur_2.jpg

[jason_mazzy]

any other guesses?

 

Tara Bosatsu?

http://tinyurl.com/2vf8bv

 

She holds a lotus flower:

http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/c ... udur_2.jpg

 

 

That is an interesting one to think about.

[jason_mazzy]

Found near identical ones though mine (IMO) are much nicer. Here is the link to the pair online: http://www.sanmei.com/contents/media/menuki_hilt_ornament2079.html

 

Here is the description: 

 

menuki2079a

menuki248Sa

Douji guardians of Budda design

Seitaka/Kongara Douji

Kibata signed as Shou/Zui

Yamagane (copper) ground, Yobori carving, Gold/silver Iroe

33.5x13.5mm 7.0mm thick

29.8x17.0mm 5.4mm thick

 

here is also a woodblock painting of the pair: