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Small Zodiac Sign – Snake

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Founded in 1946 by Noriyasu, who started handmaking wooden toys and folk crafts in Tottori. There are twelve signs of the Chinese zodiac, each one is hand crafted from cedar and cypress and then hand painted in bright colours. 

In Chinese symbology, Snakes are regarded as intelligent, but with a tendency to be somewhat unscrupulous.

Size

6cm x d.3.5cm x h.2cm

What Is the Chinese Zodiac?

The Chinese zodiac, or shengxiao (/shnng-sshyao/ 'born resembling'), is a repeating cycle of 12 years, with each year being represented by an animal and its reputed attributes.

In order, the 12 Chinese horoscope animals are: Rat, Ox, Tiger, Rabbit, Dragon, Snake, Horse, Goat, Monkey, Rooster, Dog, Pig.

The Snake

The Snake is the sixth of the 12-year cycle of animals which appear in the Chinese zodiac related to the Chinese calendar. 

According to one legend, there is a reason for the order of the 12 animals in the 12-year cycle. The story goes that a race was held to cross a great river, and the order of the animals in the cycle was based upon their order in finishing the race. In this story, the snake compensated for not being the best swimmer by hitching a hidden ride on the Horse's hoof, and when the horse was just about to cross the finish line, jumping out, scaring the horse, and thus edging it out for sixth place.

The same 12 animals are also used to symbolixe the cycle of hours in the day, each being associated with a two-hour time period. The "hour" of the Snake is 9:00 to 11:00 a.m., the time when the Sun warms up the Earth, and Snakes are said to slither out of their holes. The "month" of the Snake is the 4th month of the Chinese lunar calendar and it usually falls within the months of May through June depending on the Chinese to Gregorian calendar conversion.

 

Please avoid touching the product with wet hands or wiping it with water, as this will cause the colorus to bleed.

Origin

Japan
Japan

Tottori is the capital city of Tottori Prefecture in the Chūgoku region of Japan.

If you walk about 100m north of Kannonin Garden (a nationally designated scenic spot), you will find their craft shop just halfway between the shrine and the Nikko Toshogu Shrine (built in 1650 by soliciting the spirit of Nikko Toshogu).

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