Japanese Netsuke – Kappa . Composition “ kappa with a w Start Price USD 595.00 Current Price USD 595.00 Time Left - Bid Count 0 Buy It Now Price - Reserve Price - Start Time Wednesday, November 12, 2008 End Time Friday, December 12, 2008 Location Los Angeles, California See more about 'Japanese Netsuke – Kappa . Composition “ kappa with a w' Description Japanese Netsuke – Monkey.Composition “ kappa with a water chestnut". This one the oldest one that I will sell. Made of staghorn. Kappa is a legendary Japanese water demon, mostly harmless although sometimes mischievious, loves cucumbers (hence sushi cucumber roll is called kappa roll). Most depictions show kappa as child-sized humanoids, though their bodies are often more like those of monkeys or frogs than human beings. Some descriptions say their faces are apelike, while others show them with beaked visages more like those of tortoises or with duck beaks. Pictures usually show kappa with thick shells and scaly skin that ranges in color from green to yellow or blue. Kappa are usually seen as mischievous troublemakers. Their pranks range from the relatively innocent, such as loudly passing gas or looking up women's kimonos, to the more troublesome, such as stealing crops, kidnapping children. In fact, small children are one of the gluttonous kappa's favorite meals, though they will eat adults as well. They feed on these hapless victims by sucking out the shirikodama (尻子玉, shirikodama?)[1] (or entrails, blood, liver, or "life force", depending on the legend) through the anus. Even today, signs warning about kappa appear by bodies of water in some Japanese towns and villages. Kappa are also said to be afraid of fire, and some villages hold fireworks festivals each year to scare the spirits away. Kappa are not entirely antagonistic to mankind, however. They are curious of human civilization, and they can understand and speak Japanese. They thus sometimes challenge those they encounter to various tests of skill, such as shogi or sumo wrestling. They may even befriend human beings in exchange for gifts and offerings, especially cucumbers, the only food kappa are known to enjoy more than human children. Japanese parents sometimes write the names of their children (or themselves) on cucumbers and toss them into kappa-infested waters in order to mollify the creatures and allow the family to bathe.[citation needed] There is even a kind of cucumber-filled sushi roll named for the kappa, the kappamaki. Once befriended, kappa have been known to perform any number of tasks for human beings, such as helping farmers irrigate their land. They are also highly knowledgeable of medicine, and legend states that they taught the art of bone setting to mankind. Due to these benevolent aspects, some shrines are dedicated to the worship of particularly helpful kappa.[citation needed] Kappa may also be tricked into helping people. Their deep sense of decorum will not allow them to break an oath, for example, so if a human being can dupe a kappa into promising to help him, the kappa has no choice but to follow through.   I am selling part of my collection, some of the netsuke’s I purchased from private collectors, some from Buddha Museum, their time ratio 18-19 centuries. Almost all of them signed please check pictures for details. All reasonable offers will be consider, you are buying real stuff. International shipping also free, all items will be insured.   Good luck Please check my other actions Place a Bid!