Wonderful Charleston, SC Estate Find! Antique Japanese hand-carved wood skull, snake and frog tobacco jar with lid from the Meiji Period (1868 – 1912). The jar features an ivory snake winding in and out of the skull and ivory teeth. The lid features a frog on top, though I’m not sure about the composition. The skull design is similar to a memento mori, used to remind a person of the shortness of life. Measures 6″ tall x 4″ wide x 4.25 deep. In Japan, the frog, (kaeru), is symbolic of fertility and good fortune, and, as the word in Japanese means “to return”, frogs can be linked with things/or people returning to their place of origin. The snake holds deep meaning in Japanese culture and folklore. It is seen as a symbol for protection, transformation and rebirth. In certain Shinto beliefs, they are seen as messengers and incarnations of deities, often worshipped in temples and believed to bring blessing and ward off evil.
