A cute, chubby little chap or chapess (what do I know about the gender of bronze owls?) with a decent, solid heft (weighs half a kilo). This owl demonstrates the wisdom of saying nothing; keeping shtum; of not putting your oar in or of all of the above. This owl is guaranteed to not speak evil.
Materials: Brass, Bronze
Height: 10cm
Width: 6.5cm
Depth: 8cm
Weight: 500g
This statue is part of a set of 3 owl statues available that reimagine the traditional Three Wise Monkeys from 16th century Japan. Traditionally, the monkey statues were set at crossroads in honour of Koshin, the God of Roads, whose attendants they are. ‘Mizaru, kikazaru, iwazaru, ‘No seeing, no hearing, no speaking’, with a pun on saru, Japanese for ‘Monkey’. In Japan, the monkeys were examples of prudence and purity.
Similar small statues are known to have been carried as lucky charms by soldiers in the First World War. They are identified with a proverbial saying, ‘See no evil, hear no evil, speak no evil’, first recorded in 1926 and now generally used sarcastically against those who, through selfishness or cowardice, choose to ignore some wrongdoing.
This statue was hand cast from an original wood sculpture using the lost wax casting technique and hand finished.
Finished in a vintage style – please note you will find surface pores (small holes), marks and imperfections where dust and grime will accumulate over time to give an authentically aged, vintage impression.
As each statue is cast and finished by hand, you may see a little difference in detail between photos and the item you finally received – these owls are unique.
To clean or care for this wise owl, use a soft brush to remove grime, focus on crevices in the bronze where grime collects. Rub a dry cotton or microfibre cloth gently remove dust. Apply a clear, wax based polish – one or two coats – and polish with the soft cloth.
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