Ironic that the double fish symbol is an auspicious symbol, because I literally just found this out of nowhere. I was walking home with my daughter when I saw a plastic bin full of old photo albums next to trash barrels. Curious about what else may be in the bin, I decided to take a look, against the objections of my daughter who whined at me "oh my god!. It's just old junk. There's nothing Chinese in it". Well, lo and behold, to my delight, and bewildered at this odd coincidence, I happily responded back to her "Yes there is, see" as I pull out and hold up this Japanese wood sculpture of double fish mounted on a tree wood slice.
It appears I have been blessed with good fortune. :)
At the time, when I initially found it, I assumed it to be Chinese, however, having asked my friend Hung in Taiwan for a translation, it turns out that it is Japanese. The calligraphy text reads 大川 幸太郎, which translates as being made by Master Ōkawa Kōtarō 幸野 氏,
Okawa Kotaro is a traditional wood carver who specialises in Buddhist statuary. He lives and works in the Shitamachi neighbourhood of Tokyo, Asakusa. He is the author & subject of the book "How to Make Wood Carving of Buddha: Gentle Buddhist Image Maker in Pictures
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