Antique Japanese Nari Koma Whistle Spinning Top

Dimensions: 5-1/4”h x 4-0”dia.

Samurai warriors had special arrows with a bulb attached to the tip so that, when shot, they would make an unworldly sound to scare their enemies. Street performers in the big samurai cities like Edo (present-day Tokyo), Osaka, and Kyoto had special spinning tops with similar shapes that, when spun, would make an eerie sound to excite their audiences.

This is rather large for a spinning top made from hollow bamboo and large enough to have the mass necessary to produce the spectral sound that delighted the people of Edo. I has the original spinning device with string on the top with a perfectly proportion point on the bottom to aid in producing a fast spin. It has two small window on the body is called "Unari mado (or a whizzing window)" which creates a unique whizzing sound when you spin the top. It is ringed with circles of red and gold (gold slightly  worn off from use). It is been made by traditional craftspeople using the techniques which has been passed down by predecessors beginning two hundred years ago. There are new interpretations of this top but with no character and history of use as the piece being offered.

Condition: Superb outstandingly excellent, impressive, and beautiful. No chips, cracks, breaks, missing pieces or restoration, and retains its original details and finish. The piece meets all the standards of the collectible Koma and Toys, and this top being a piece of Edo (1600-1868) culture is a veritable collector's item!