Wanko Soba

This playful work is full of clever puns. Wanko means “bowl” in an Iwate dialect, while also serving as a colloquial term for a dog. When the tray holding the soba noodles, soba cup (choko), and chopsticks is turned over, only dog paw prints appear on the reverse side. The dog represents the wordplay on inu (“dog”), which sounds like inai (“not there”), creating a riddle that suggests the dog has already gone.

The inlaid wings add another layer of humor: inu no soba (“next to the dog”) points to the zodiac sign adjacent to Dog (Inu), which is Rooster (Tori) in the Japanese zodiac—an especially elaborate visual pun.

Worldwide free shipping applies to Netsuke & Burari only.