Japanese Onigawara Oni Mask Okimono with Black Stand, Gray

Sold by an authorized seller from Japan's kawara industry — and a craftsman myself.

Onigawara are ornamental ridge-end tiles that have long been placed on the roofs of Japanese temples, castles and traditional houses. They belong to an old protective tradition in Japanese architecture, in which a fierce, watchful face was set at the highest point of a building. This okimono carries that heritage into a form suited to a shelf, desk or tabletop.

The oni is traditionally regarded as a talisman, said to ward off evil and misfortune and to watch over the household. Such meanings are part of folk belief and custom. They are offered here as cultural background and not as a promise of any effect.

The figure has a composed, commanding expression. Two pointed horns rise from a brow of scrolled curls, and flowing, wave-like hair sweeps back from the forehead. Round eyes, a broad nose, small fangs and a finely lined beard complete the face. Below it, a curved ornamental border with rounded studs frames the mask in the classic onigawara manner. The surface is a soft, matte gray with a gentle metallic quality, and it sits on a black display stand. Colour may vary slightly with lighting and screen settings.

This piece is a Japanese traditional craft form. It is made in Japan of kawara, the traditional Japanese clay, and is a ceramic work in the traditional onigawara style. It will suit an alcove, a bookshelf or a quiet corner of a study.

• Type: Onigawara-style Oni Figurine (Okimono)
• Color: Gray, with black stand
• Material: Ceramic (kawara, traditional Japanese clay)
• Origin: Made in Japan
• Dimensions: Length 9 cm × Width 15 cm × Height 15 cm
• Weight: 0.5 kg (500 g)
• Included: Display stand, as shown in the photographs

About the seller: I am a craftsman in the kawara (Japanese traditional ceramics) trade myself. We are an authorized seller launched by like-minded companies within Japan's kawara industry, and we handle a wide range of kawara and onigawara from across the country. Every item is carefully inspected and packed in Japan and shipped directly to you.