Miyajima's toy deer watch over Itsukushima Shrine
During the Edo period, Miyajima, Hiroshima Prefecture, where Itsukushima Shrine is located, was given an imperial decree that anyone who killed wild deer would be punished, and so the deer were protected.Wood carvings with Miyajima deer motifs were beloved as souvenirs, and around the middle of the Meiji period, clay dolls modeled after these wood carvings also began to be made.
At that time, a unique toy called "Shikazaru" was created, combining the monkeys that were plentiful on the island at the time, and it became extremely popular. Although it has been discontinued several times, it is still made today, over 100 years later, and is a staple Miyajima souvenir.
What we are introducing today is a reproduction of a deer and monkey that was made from the end of the Taisho period to the beginning of the Showa period. Because it disappeared after only a few years, there are very few surviving materials, and it has been difficult to obtain until now. It is a cute piece with simple painting of two large white circles.
