The Ingrams in Japan
A story about Sir Herbert and Lady Ingram’s honeymoon in Japan, where they collected hundreds of objects now in the Ashmolean’s collection.
Early in the morning on 17th March 1908 the Ingrams' ship docked in Nagasaki, their first port of call in Japan. They were to remain here for just one day, most of which they spent in the 'curio' shops to avoid the rain. Nagasaki was at that time famous for tortoiseshell decorated with gold lacquer, of which they bought a few pieces. Their first purchase that came to the museum, bought from the dealer Sato, was an ivory okimono (ornament) which Mr Ingram listed as 'devil with beans' (EA1956.1734). This small figure of an oni (devil), made by Tomomasa, is throwing beans at the annual festival of Setsubun. It is an amusing reversal of roles, for the beans are meant to be thrown at the devil to drive him away and cleanse the house of any mischief planned for the coming year.
Okimono, or ornament, in the form of a devil throwing beans at the Setsubun festival (EA1956.1734)
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