Wooden netsuke depicting a tanuki, Japan, mid-Edo period A katabori type, the tanuki, here beating its distended belly like a drum "Tanuki no hara tsuzumi", is a subject reputed to bring good luck to its owner as "Tanuki" (狸 Japanese raccoon dog) is pronounced the same as "tanuki" (他抜き to surpass or stand out from others). It often appears in traditional folklore, known for its supernatural powers and mischievous tendencies, transforming into any living or inanimate form, often taking the shape of a monk or a kettle to play tricks on people. Signed below Minko H. 3 cm