Animals and nature. Shintō and Buddhism have a reverent respect and spiritual interest in animals and nature, such as rocks and trees, birds, koi (carp), turtles, snails, insects (especially beetles), and much more. Shintō treats images of animals as deities (see guardian fox on the right), and Buddhism’s interest is in the prolific attention given in its art to the natural world, as seen in many examples in this collection.
There are many ducks in lacquer, cloisonné, and porcelain. Each affords considerable latitude to express the multi-colored feathers of ducks—even the female mallard is richly rendered. Duck figures are usually also storage vessels for trinkets; the top section lifts off for storage of small items, which is helpful in small Japanese apartments.
Japanese animal images display the Japanese interest in realistic imitation of the external world. Many birds are also featured in cloisonné and in hanging scrolls that allow visual space (as air) for rendering the beauty of flight. The compelling interest in spiritual qualities is seen in many artifacts, but as mentioned earlier, with eagles on pine trees, both symbolizing strength, and cranes and turtles symbolizing longevity. Netsuke (described earlier) also features many animal subjects, not of usual interest to non-Japanese people: mice, snakes, snails, fish (koi are a favorite topic), and even mice and rats.
