RARE! This culturally significant Silkworm Protection Bell (蚕鈴 / Sansuzu) is a handcrafted clay bell originating from Mie-Ji Temple (美江寺) in Gifu City, once a major center of silk production in Japan. The bell is painted in vibrant traditional colors—red, green, blue, and yellow—and shaped with a rounded form.
The bell is both a protective talisman and a symbol of gratitude, deeply connected to the history of sericulture (silkworm farming) in the region. Known also as a "Kichijō Bell" (吉祥鈴), it was believed to ensure the healthy growth of silkworms and to prevent mice—natural predators—from disturbing them.
In the past, Gifu was a flourishing sericulture region, and the Kannon was widely revered by local farmers as a divine protector of life, including silkworms. Even after the decline of sericulture following World War II, the temple continued to celebrate its legacy with an annual “Silkworm Festival” (蚕祭り). With the decline in successors to carry on the tradition, the production of silkworm bells has significantly diminished, now sustained by a single remaining craftsman (family) who continues to make them by hand.
