Posted 3 years ago
suzel59
(1 item)
I found these in an old sewing box that I got when my husbands Granmother died. They look like they are pretty old. Does anyone know what they are and whether they are of any value? Thank you
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What do they look like on the bottom? My mother had a set that when you turned them over they were saki cups.
There is the word "Japan" stamped on the back and there's some writing in Japanese. They are in excellent condition.
These represent the 7 Japanese gods of good fortune. Many exports were decorated or had motifs referring to these mythological figures. Obviously one button is missing.
You can find bracelets made of ivory with the exact look of these pieces, head only links, with colorful details. I could name you the seven by name but remember only one of the top of my head 'Daikoku'. the god of plenty (food, drink etc) he would be the happy one with the hat and black beard.
Thank you Lisa, there actually ARE 7. I made a star out of heavy wire and wove more wire and beads throughout the star to make a suncatcher kind of piece for my sister in law for a gift a few years ago. I used one of the buttons because it was her Grandmother's. It hangs on her sliding glass door so people don't walk through the glass by accident....Do you think there is any value to the set if I have all 7 pieces?
I think so. I had never seen Japanese buttons with this subject matter as motifs, but the bracelets are very valuable. There are collectors of rare buttons out there, this set would be interesting to them.
This is a set of Arita Porcelain Buttons from Japan. The seven immortals or gods of fortune which came in small medium and large Button sizes.
The seven immortals are:
1.Benzaiten(woman)
2 Jurojin(old man with blue/grey hat)
3. Daikoku(man wearing purple hat with mustache)
4. Bishamonten(scowling warrior with helmet)
5. Hotei(smiling bald man without a beard)
6. Fukurokuju(smiling, bald old man with white beard)
7. Ebisu(smiling man with black mustache, goatee and wearing a gold hat)
Your set seems to be missing Ebisu.
Sold in wooden boxed sets by Toshikane Art Porcelain in Tokyo for the tourist trade in the 1960's. A complete set of the smaller is about $100. Going up in price by size.
http://www.facebook.com/pages/California-State-Button-Society/86452353290