This rustic dorei (土鈴) clay bell comes from Hachita Jinja (蜂田神社) in Senshū, Osaka, a shrine affectionately known as Suzu-no-Miya (鈴の宮), “the Shrine of Bells.”
The bell is moulded in the shape of a hyōtan (瓢箪 / gourd), with softly modelled auspicious motifs decorating the rounded body. A small opening near the base allows the inner clay pellet to sound when the bell is moved, while the straw-like cord at the top adds to its handmade, devotional appearance.
Hachita Jinja, located in present-day Sakai, Osaka Prefecture, has an especially deep connection with clay bells. According to shrine tradition, members of the ancient Hachita clan once made twelve earthenware bells and offered them before the deity, judging the fortune of the coming year from the quality of their sounds. This custom developed into the shrine’s Suzu-uranai Shinji (鈴占神事), or “bell-divination ritual,” which is said to have been practised for more than 1,100 years. It is from this tradition that Hachita Jinja acquired the popular name Suzu-no-Miya.
The bell tradition continues today. During the shrine’s Setsubun observances, twelve clay bells are used in the divination ceremony, after which zodiac-shaped dorei are distributed as auspicious charms. These bells are traditionally valued as omamori for good fortune and protection from misfortune (開運厄除).
The gourd itself is also a long-established lucky motif in Japan. Because gourds produce many seeds and were traditionally used as practical vessels, they came to symbolize prosperity, fertility, good health and protection.
Size: 4 x 5 x 9cm
