Two Mythical Creatures (Tengu) Carrying a Parcel

Japan

Not on view

The tengu were originally thought to take the form of birds of prey and were depicted with both human and bird characteristics. The beaks of the earliest representations were later humanized as unnaturally long noses. This netsuke of a pair of winged creatures carrying a heavy load wrapped in textile, offers a fascinating glimpse of some of the most represented characters in Japanese folklore.

Two Mythical Creatures (Tengu) Carrying a Parcel, Ivory, Japan

This image cannot be enlarged, viewed at full screen, or downloaded.

Open Access

As part of the Met's Open Access policy, you can freely copy, modify and distribute this image, even for commercial purposes.

API

Public domain data for this object can also be accessed using the Met's Open Access API.