| Minogame is a old turtle with seaweed growing on its back, making it look like it is wearing a straw raincoat. It is said that cranes live for a thousand years, and turtles live for ten thousand years, and turtles are symbols of longevity. Minogame is an even longer-lived turtle than other long-lived turtles, and is considered a very auspicious turtle, so it has been depicted as a lucky charm. The metal worker, Yoshioka Masatsugu [吉岡尹次], also signs his name as Masajiro [尹次郎]. He is the sixth generation of the branch of the Yoshioka school, whose founder was Munetsugu [宗次] (the illegitimate son of the first Yoshioka Shigetsugu [吉岡重次]). This set of menuki is a Minogame menuki with chisel effects made using Yoshioka-style techniques. It has passed the Tokubetsu Hozon Tosogu shinsa in February 2025. |
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