Antique Japanese Turtle Frog (Kenzan) for Ikebana Floral Arrangements

This heavy piece has two parts – a decorative top half, which appears to show waves on the side of the turtle, and a solid heavy bottom with spikes that perfectly fit into the holes of the ‘turtle shell’. The Japanese call this a Kenzan (sword mountain) and it is used to hold flowers in place as they are cut and arranged in line with the Moribana style of Ikebana, the Japanese art of flower arranging. It is to be used instead of floral foam or netting.
 
We are not sure if it is made of lead, iron, or possibly bronze. It has not been polished or cleaned. It comes as shown in photos. The bottom has a Japanese maker’s mark and below it the words MADE IN JAPAN, barely visible in photos due to the tarnishing on this item.
 
We know this belonged to our grandmother which means it must have been purchased in Japan in the 1920s or 1930s when her great aunts travelled there, once with her in tow as a teenager.
 
H 1 ¼” x L 4” x W 2 5/8”
1 lb 4.5 oz
 
Disclaimer: We have tried to make sure colors shown in photos are representative of the real colors of each item. We have tried to identify all imperfections in descriptions, but we may have missed some. If you are unhappy with your purchase, let us know.