Debating if I should buy this lamp made in a high school shop class in 1941. It’s nothing too special but I’m a sucker for a good back story and for homemade lamps.
In Japanese folklore, kitsune are magical fox spirits famous for their ability to shape-shift. This power, called henshin, is usually gained after a fox lives for around 100 years, symbolizing growing wisdom and spiritual strength. Kitsune most often transform into humans, especially women, monks, or elderly men, though they may also become objects or other animals. Their disguises are skillful but sometimes imperfect, with clues like hidden tails or strange behavior revealing their true nature.
Kitsune shape-shift for many reasons: mischief, protection, testing humans, or even love, often resulting in bittersweet stories. As they age, kitsune gain multiple tails, up to nine, with each tail representing increased power and intelligence. The nine-tailed fox is extremely powerful and nearly flawless at transformation. Kitsune are closely associated with Inari Ōkami, a Shinto deity, acting as messengers or guardians.
Greek Costume Construction: Ionian and Doric Chitons Period: Archaic and Classical Greece (6th – 5th centuries BC).
Source: Marjorie & C. H. B. Quennell, Everyday Things in Archaic Greece (London: B. T. Batsford, 1931).