Konoha Monkey -rice ball

About 1300 years ago, four men was told to build a shrine with the red clay from the Mt.Konoha in a dream on New Years Day. After they set up an alter, threw away the rest of the clay which miraculously turned into monkeys. Then Red face 3 meter giant appeared saying, 'You will have a happy life if you make monkey dolls with clay of Mt.Konoha'. They believed what the giant said to be a message from a god. They made monkey dolls and survived safely and peacefully even in disasters.

Since then, the monkey dolls have been cherished and loved as a Talisman to keep off diseases, disasters and to pray for fertility and family prosperity.

Dots representing blood vessels with arteries and veins or child's measles patterns as the monkey doll was used to pray for his/hers recovery from illness.

At present Konoha-monkey is only made by Nagata Family in Kumamoto, Japan.
Mr Nagata is the seventh generation making Konoha-monkey.

Made in Japan
Material - Clay (twisting clay with fingertips without using a mould)