19th century Japanese ivory root sculpture "Mother of Ghosts Capturing Ghosts"
This artifact is an ivory root sculpture called "Ghost Mother Capturing Ghosts", created by a Japanese artist in the 19th century. This is a small Japanese root knot sculpture, usually made of ivory, used to decorate and secure the waistband of a kimono. It is currently housed at the Minneapolis Museum of Art in the United States. This piece depicts a ghost mother catching a ghost with a hat. Guizimu is a deity in traditional Chinese culture, believed to be the god who drives away ghosts. His image is usually depicted as a agile warrior holding a sword, with a stern face, chasing or capturing demons.