Description
Elephants are not native to Japan, but live animals were brought to Japan by foreign traders at least twice during the Edo period. In the early 18th century, an elephant being taken from the port of Nagasaki to the military capital of Edo had an audience with the emperor in Kyoto. However, elephants were known to most Japanese people through woodblock prints. On the kozuka, the elephant is depicted in copper with gold highlights. The background has a pattern that resembled tree bark.
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