A pair of Oshidori (mandarin ducks) slotted to hold the outside edges of a traditional folding screen enclosed in the original wooden box. These were made to hold the edges of a screen so that it would not move in the wind when the house was open in the summer time. They are 16 x 10.5 x 11 cm (6-1/4 x 4 x 4-1/4 inches) and are in excellent condition.
The mandarin duck (oshidori) has long symbolized ideal love, fidelity, and emotional interdependence in Japanese culture. The birds are thought to mate for life, making them a natural emblem of conjugal devotion. Oshidori no chigiri — the bond of the mandarin ducks — means a vow of eternal love. An example from Heian court poetry is: Oshidori no / tomo naru yoru wa / nagakedomo / hitori karineba / mono zo kanashiki (The night with a companion, like mandarin ducks, is long, Yet a night alone brings only sadness.).
The colorful birds continue to be an enduring emblem of harmonious partnership—even when stories take bittersweet or tragic turns.
