Kabekake

(type of decorative object used to hang in tall,
narrow spaces or on pillars or posts in a residence)

Carved from the trunk or bough of a tree, at the very top below the hole for hanging the piece is the kanji or ideograph "kotobuki", meaning longevity or long life, that has been carved out, and below that further down are a pair of carved turtles -- also symbolic of longevity (10,000 years).
Kansai area, Late Edo - Early Meiji Era.
H 103 x W 16 cm

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