Myobu – Heavenly fox

Myobu is a title given to middle-ranking noblewomen of the imperial court, but also to white-coated foxes who were messengers to Inari, the Japanese deity (kami) of rice, agriculture and fertility. Made of clay, moulded and painted by hand by the craftsmen of the Nogomi Ningyo workshop in Saga Prefecture, it is a lucky charm amulet sold at the Yutoku Inari shrine, the third largest Inari shrine in Japan. Each piece is unique and features different details.