Features
The traditional Japanese tengu subject: highly recognisable and very collectable
The tengu mask is highly representative in Japanese folk culture; the subject itself carries story and symbolism, and it suits collectors who love Japanese, folk-craft and antique atmospheres.
A large size with greater presence (36×23.5×28 cm)
This is not on the scale of a small souvenir but large enough to become the focus of a room once hung on a wall or set on a display shelf, well suited to creating a Japanese sense of place and atmospheric tension.
Strongly three-dimensional hand carving, with clear layers of pattern and knife work
The forehead, brow ridges, bridge of the nose and the texture of the face all show clear rise and fall, and the surface keeps the lines and undulations of hand carving, without the set look of a flat veneer or a machine press.
A composed antique colour, the surface sheen carrying the flavour of years
The surface shows mellow deep brown and golden-brown tones, the quality of an old piece that grows on you the longer you look; under lighting it reflects in layers from different angles and photographs very well.
A prominent nose and a highly dramatic form, excellent for display and interior styling
The tengu's long nose is the most eye-catching feature; in a shop, a studio or on a collection wall it creates an immediate point of memory and raises both the recognisability of the display and the talk it generates.
Openings at the eyes, so it can serve as a display prop or a photographic set piece
There are holes at the eyes (visible in the photographs), so besides being a pure ornament it also suits use as a photographic prop, as exhibition display, or as a decorative object for Japanese-themed events.
Suits many kinds of setting: Japanese, wabi-sabi, retro, folk-craft and the feel of a Japanese bar
Whether in a Japanese interior, a timber fit-out, a retro display, a wabi-sabi scheme, or on the wall of an izakaya, a yakiniku restaurant or a sake bar, it fits in naturally and adds to the effect.