Kintama Parachute by Patrick Gannon

Kintama Parachute

Patrick Gannon

Kintama Parachute

hand cut & torn paper + washi / wood

25.7 x 18.4 x 2 cm (10.12 x 7.24 x 0.79 in)

$825

Just about every culture has their trickster myths. In Japan, there are plenty.

The ghosts all tend to be mischievous. Animals transform themselves into humans at whim, playing us bipeds for fools. The Tanuki (raccoon dog) unquestionably reigns supreme among all the tricksy beasts and beasties.

Nearly forgotten among the various tanuki stories is the Mame-Danuki 豆狸, or the "bean-tanuki". This Yokai could inflate its testicles to monstrous proportions. It then uses them as an umbrella on rainy nights. Or just about anything else you can think of (see here: http://www.kuniyoshiproject.com/raccoon%20Dogs%20(R209).htm ).

"Kintama" [ 金玉 ] is the Japanese word for testicles. It translates literally as "golden balls". Here the tanuki is using his to drift softly down to earth, a kind of "golden parachute".

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