Inu Harkiko, papier-mache dog 犬張子

Inu harkiko, small papier-mache dogs, embody the wish that children will grown up healthy. These toys, made of washi paper in the shape of a dog, were mainly made in Edo. Their inspiration is thought to be stone-carved guardian dogs from the Heian period (794-1185). At the court, such guardian dogs were used in purification rituals to eliminate bodily uncleanliness and prevent disasters. In the Muromachi period (1392-1568), it became customary, in the upper reaches of society, to decorate the room where a birth would take place with papier-mache otogi inu, “attendant dogs.” Also known as inubako (dog cases) and inu hariko (papier-mache dogs), they have the face of an infant and the body of a dog, divided in upper lower parts to create a box-shaped ornament. Displayed in pairs, male and female, these paper sculptures were used to hold cosmetics and talismans, to ward off evil. In the Edo period, inu hariko in the form of a dog standing on its four legs were made in Edo and many other places throughout the country. Since dogs are thought to be animals that give birth easily, theses small dog figurines were regarded as talismans embodying prayers for a baby’s easy, safe delivery and were thus also linked to shrine visits to pray for children’s healthy growth.