Soild Gold Menuki School Identification

[i h8 mud nz]

Hi just trying to find a school and or smith that could have made this stunning menuki..thank you for any help..by solid i mean not plated they are slightly hollowed in the back..about 3mm hollow checking very carefully with a dentist tool

[Heringsdorf]

Looks like Goto school to me.

[nagamaki - Franco]

Very unusual pair, Goto, solid gold, hmm 

[i h8 mud nz]

Thank you

[John A Stuart]

I don't think Goto. The telltales are missing, but, the exception proves.... and all that. John

[Dr Fox]

Its very appealing, how the wrap is figured to show the menuki at their best.

[Brian]

If they are almost solid at the back, with only a slight hollow, I would question any antique categorization.

[nagamaki - Franco]

Shishi with stripes like you might see on a tiger, tail like you might see on kirin, spikes like a dragon, what is the basis/story for this creature?

[i h8 mud nz]

Hollow is 3mm at the deepest point ..sorry for the bad description at the start.

[SAS]

There is a specific creature like this in the ancient myths, but it escapes my memory at the moment

[Bazza]

Gentlemen, note also that the creature has spots...

 

BaZZa.

[Ian]

I have always thought of these to be Baku 'dream eaters'. Depicted normally with a small trunk, but these do seem to have an elongated upper lip, as do the couple of pairs I have.

[i h8 mud nz]

????????????????????????

[Jussi Ekholm]

I think Ian nailed it with Baku as the creature. You can see quite similar short nosed variant in menuki at Usagiya: http://www.ksky.ne.jp/~sumie99/animals.html

[i h8 mud nz]

Thank you to everyone who helped with the fantastic information. .