Ivory netsuke with Ashinaga and Tenaga

Ashinaga and Tenaga

Early 19th century

Ivory netuske,

Ashinaga ("long legs") and Tenaga ("long arms") are two Chinese mythical figures who use their abnormally long limbs to fish: with his long legs, Ashinaga can easily emerge from the waters of the rivers and watching everything from above, while Tenaga sinks his long arms into the water, searching fishes or shellfish of which both are greedy.