Front view of the Maruichi Shigaraki ware Coin Purse tanuki figurine, showing a compact round form gripping a large golden lattice-patterned coin purse with both paws, straw hat overhead, and wide-eyed forward gaze.

Maruichi Shigaraki Ware Coin Purse Tanuki Figurine

Maruichi Shigaraki Ware Coin Purse Tanuki Figurine

Name: Maruichi Shigaraki Ware Coin Purse Tanuki Figurine
Brand: Maruichi
SKU: mot080010102
Price: 99.00 USD
Availability: InStock

$99.00

The coin purse the tanuki holds here is not incidental. In Japanese folk tradition the tanuki is associated with financial luck, and the gamaguchi — the clasp-frame coin purse whose name this form takes — is the object that holds it. This tanuki grips one with both paws, a large golden purse with a lattice pattern pressed to its chest, the clasp at the top and a small tag hanging from it. The posture is possessive in a way that reads as cheerful rather than acquisitive: this is a figure that has already decided things will go well. Maruichi produces it in Shigaraki, one of Japan's Six Ancient Kilns, in the coarse iron-rich clay the region has fired since the medieval period. For a new business, a new home, or anyone navigating a financial transition, this is a considered choice — fortune held close, offered as a gift.

Details

Size: W 4.3in x L 3in x H 4.5in / W 11cm x L 7.5cm x H 11.5cm
Materia: Ceramic

Care & Use

Dust regularly with a soft cloth or dry brush to keep the surface clean
For light soiling, wipe with a soft sponge lightly dampened with water or lukewarm water
For heavier soiling, use a diluted mild detergent, then wipe thoroughly with a clean damp cloth to remove any residue
After cleaning, allow to dry fully; residual moisture can lead to mold or surface deterioration
Place on a stable, level surface to prevent tipping
If displaying outdoors, move to a sheltered location such as under eaves during winter; water retained inside the piece can freeze and cause cracking when temperatures drop below freezing
In humid environments, moss or algae may develop on the surface; remove periodically with a soft brush and gentle rinse with water

Check our tips for Care Information.

Maruichi Shigaraki Ware Coin Purse Tanuki Figurine

$99.00

Meet the Artisan

Maruichi

Maruichi sits directly beside Shigaraki Station, at the point where the town's ceramic tradition meets the people who come looking for it. The store sources its tanuki figurines from the kilns of the surrounding region, working within a production culture where maker and seller have historically occupied the same small geography. That proximity matters. In Shigaraki, the tanuki is not a souvenir category but a sustained craft form, made from the same clay and fired in the same kilns as the ware that has defined the town for centuries. The figurines Maruichi carries express the 8 attributes that give the form its cultural weight: the straw hat as protection against hardship, the wide eyes for clear judgment, the sake flask for virtue, the account book for trust, the large belly for calm deliberation, the money pouch for financial fortune, the tail for steadiness, and the face as the seat of good will. Placed at an entrance, the tanuki is understood to carry intention rather than decoration, and the Shigaraki makers who produce them treat the form accordingly. Maruichi's role is to keep that chain of meaning intact, from kiln to the hands of the people who will live with these objects.