Archaeology & Art@archaeologyart
Ivory Netsuke: Octopus and Basket. Culture: Japan, ca. 1800-1900. Material: Ivory. Collection: USC Pacific Asia Museum, Pasadena.
The basket beneath the octopus reminds me of the octopus traps used in Japanese fishing. Since octopuses like to hide in dark, confined spaces, fishermen would lower clay pots to the seabed. Acting on instinct, the animal would enter this space to use it as a shelter, often staying inside until fishermen hauled the pot to the surface.The piece in the image I've shared looks more like a basket than a clay pot, but I think the theme here is the octopus escaping the trap. Instead of being trapped inside,the octopus is on top of it. Of course, that's just my interpretation.
This Japanese octopus trap tradition has actually given its name to a condition in modern medicine. In 1990, Japanese cardiologists identified a temporary disorder associated with severe emotional or physical stress. During moments of stress,the left ventricle balloons out, resembling the shape of those traditional, narrow-necked octopus traps lowered to the ocean floor. Triggered by sudden grief, major trauma, or other intense stressors, this cardiological condition - - commonly known as broken heart syndrome - - was named Takotsubo cardiomyopathy due to the shape of the trap in question.
