ANTIQUE MINATURE PEWTER METAL ORNAMENT

THREE WISE MONKEYS

CAPE TOWN PAINTED ON BASE.

UNDERNEATH REDG. IMPRESSED BACKSTAMP

Small figurines of three monkeys, one covering his eyes, another his ears, and another his mouth, have been popular in Britain since (probably) the 1900s;

They are known to have been carried as lucky charms by soldiers in the First World War.

They are identified with a proverbial saying, ‘See no evil, hear no evil, speak no evil’

These may reflect the proverb ‘Hear all, see all, say nowt’, known since the late Middle Ages.

But could also be a souvenir of Cape Town

Three monkeys area...

The Wise Monkeys also may have originated in Japan, where they have been known since the 16th century; their statues are set at crossroads in honor of Koshin, the God of Roads, whose attendants they are. Their slogan is Mi-zaru, kika-zaru, iwa-zaru, ‘No seeing, no hearing, no speaking’, with a pun on saru, Japanese for ‘Monkey,’ and it is used seriously to teach prudence and purity.

Lovely condition.

Measuring just 3.5cm long

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