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Japanese Onigawara Gargoyle Demon Clay Roof Tile Silver Painted 1970s, earlier?

$ 44.88

Availability: 20 in stock
  • All returns accepted: ReturnsNotAccepted
  • Theme: Gargoyle
  • Country/Region of Manufacture: Japan
  • Condition: Good Vintage Condition

    Description

    Offered here is one Japanese ONIGAWARA silver-painted clay ridge end tile, in Good Vintage Condition, not perfect -- with some signs of weathering and age with small chips and scratches.
    See close-up photo of an area that is chipped.
    Very clean with some patina from weathering. Finish is 100% original. No odors of any kind.
    I'm not sure how this would have been made -- either using a hand-carved wooden mold for the clay, which is then hand-finished before firing in a kiln, then painted.
    ...But the narrow but deep circles carved around the eyes suggest the clay was carved by hand directly, without a mold. I'm not an expert, I could be mistaken about this. It's possible that both a wooden mold AND hand-carving for some of the features directly into the clay were BOTH used.
    "Oni" = demon; "gawara" = tile
    This is an example of the ceramic talisman designs dating back to the 6th century, traditionally placed on rooftop ridge end tiles in Japan to protect the house and its occupants from evil -- most often found on Buddhist temples.
    The Japanese writing on the side is hand-carved.
    This was acquired in Japan by my family in the 1970s, but I do not know its age or anything about this tile's history. Based on other examples I'm seeing on the internet, it's possible this is older than the 1970s.
    Approx 10" tall, 9-1/2" wide at base, and 3" deep. Weighs a very hefty 7 pounds.
    The hole in back allows it to hang securely on a screw in a wall inside or outside. These also look terrific when mounted on a wall in a deep wooden "frame-box."
    Please review the photos here carefully and ask me any questions you might have about this item or about shipping BEFORE you place a bid. NO RETURNS. NO REFUNDS.