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Shoki (Shouki, Shōki) and Daruma
(Shooki 鍾馗 しょうき）The Demon Queller
"Pictorial Banners in the Edo Period"
Japan Folk Crafts Museum, Boy's Day Exhibition 2007
Click HERE for many more photos ! !!!!!
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Many homes in Naramachi have a statue tile of Shoki sama on the roof. There are many old cemeteries in the village and many ghosts live there. Thus, a demon or ghost queller is most appropriate !
© Naramati Tourist
Naramachi is also famous for the red monkey dolls, migawari zaru.
Migawari Monkey, the Monkey Charm of Naramachi
身代わり猿、奈良町
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Shoki: Left
The Demon Queller is a folklore figure called Shoki in Japanese and Zhonggui in Chinese which originated in China around eight century. The Chinese emperor named him Demon Queller, after loyal Zonggui chased the ghost away during the emperor nightmare. This graceful emperor restored Zonggui honors, since Zonggui committed suicide, after he knew that his ugly feature was the cause of depriving his rightful honors in a civil examination. Images of Shoki in China, as well as in Japan, will be displayed in the fifth day of the fifth lunar months, when demons were thought to be especially troublesome.
In Japan, the day marked the Tango-no-seku festival, now known as Boy's day. This Boy’s day is for the celebration day for healthy and successful future of male children.The picture shows the original statue of Shoki made by the Bizen stoneware.
(Refer to Code 21-a for detail) of Bakumatsu (1854-67) to Meiji period (1858-1911) with no incense mark of potter name. It is quite old and is heavy and turned black by exposing to the stove for many years. The picture is photo lighted and looks gray to show the texture but the real color is dark gray almost black which shows antiquities.
Daruma: Right
Daruma ~(AD525), Indian monk (Bodhidharma) was the founder of the Japanese Zen sect of Buddhism, which survives today. He entered South China and taught meditation, such as deep penetration by sitting in front of the wall.
Many different types of portraits of Daruma exist, all imaginary representations of the portraits based from the narrative accounts.
The picture shows original Bizen stoneware artist’s version of Daruma in the contemporary days of late Showa in the 1980s. Daruma is shown as standing and casting a concentrated stare with bulging eyes. He is clad as a monk, in a plain cassock with hood, and his arms are folded inside the robe.
It is quite rare to see Daruma standing, since he is usually sitting down for meditation.
Probably, the artist wanted to reveal the story told about Daruma strong will to cross the Yangze River in China, being unaccepted at first, and went north to MountSong, where he meditated for nine years facing the cave wall at the Sholin monastery.
© Japan Beautiful
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H A I K U
kigo for mid-autumn
Shookiran, Shooki ran 鍾馗蘭 (しょうきらん)
Shoki-orchid
Yoania japonica
Shooki zuisen 鍾馗水仙（しょうきずいせん）
Shoki-narcissus
Lycoris aurea（＝Lycoris traubii）
a kind of manjushage
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