An Edo period fortune lottery (omikuji) box

ENQUIRE

[An Edo period omikuji box]

[Creator unidentified].

[Japan: workshop unidentified, ca. mid to late Edo period (1700-1850s?)].

A lacquer box used for omikuji fortune telling, hand-crafted in the Edo period. Omikuji boxes, typically used at temples and shrines, contain bamboo strips, each of which is captioned by hand with a different 'level' of luck. The person whose fortune is to be told shakes the box, turns it upside-down, removes the strip which pokes through the small hole in the top of the box, and reads their fortune. Bamboo slips in mikuji boxes sometimes give a number rather than a fortune. In this case, the fortune-receiver then opens a drawer that matches their number and retrieves a piece of paper with their fortune. The characters 大悲観世音菩薩 seem to have been covered over with paint and lacquer. The handwritten inscription on a wooden chip loosely inserted in the base may read 明治四十四年九月二十三日 (Meiji 44, 9th month, 23rd day). An unusual find, in working condition.

One wooden lacquer-covered box containing hand-annotated bamboo strips, presumed complete. General wear, scrapes, scratches, and rubbing. Lacquer worn away in several places. Occasional traces of gold paint. Crack and small loss to the base of the box, gap filled with a loosely-inserted piece of wood. 28.8 x 8.8 x 8.8 cm.

# 20230504

• Ask a question about this item >