{"product_id":"a-ko-ema-with-pairs-of-eyes-amulet-or-ex-voto","title":"A Ko Ema With Pairs of Eyes: Amulet or Ex Voto","description":"\u003cp\u003eearly twentieth century\u003cbr\u003eimage size: 5 1\/2\" x 5 1\/2\", 14 cm x 14 cm\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThis is an\u003ci\u003e ema. \u003c\/i\u003e An \u003ci\u003eema\u003c\/i\u003e is a votive tablet offered by an individual to a Shinto temple either in petition for a favor or in thanks for a favor received.  Some \u003ci\u003eema\u003c\/i\u003e can be very large and hand painted.  They can depict battle scenes, sailing ships or other elaborate images.  \u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003ci\u003eKo ema, \u003c\/i\u003esuch as this one\u003ci\u003e,\u003c\/i\u003e are small votives which are to be bought by visitors to a shrine. Anyone who has been to a Shinto shrine in Japan has seen racks outside the shrine which are crowded with hundreds of \u003cem\u003eema--\u003c\/em\u003e however the new ema are not hand painted as this one is.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eIt was said that there were itinerant makers of \u003cem\u003eema\u003c\/em\u003e that would position themselves outside shrines, hand painting them and selling them to the visitors of the shrine. If true, this was likely done in collaboration with the shrine as \u003cem\u003eema\u003c\/em\u003e are a source of revenue.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThe image on this \u003cem\u003eko ema\u003c\/em\u003e is extremely desirable. It should four pairs of eyes with are situated under a painted bunting with the hiragana syllable \"me\" which means eye in English. Clearly this \u003cem\u003eema\u003c\/em\u003e was offered by someone with a malady of the eyes and was hoping to receive some spiritual healing from the powers imbued by the Shinto shrine.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eA delightful object with a highly collectible--almost surreal--image, this is certainly a \u003cem\u003eko ema\u003c\/em\u003e to consider owning.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eVery recommended.\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"Sri","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":45556602765498,"sku":null,"price":395.0,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":false}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0070\/9422\/files\/Yeux53.jpg?v=1770072201","url":"https:\/\/www.srithreads.com\/products\/a-ko-ema-with-pairs-of-eyes-amulet-or-ex-voto","provider":"Sri","version":"1.0","type":"link"}