Shita-dashi Sanbasō depicts a monkey dressed as Sanbasō, a traditional celebratory dancer associated with prayers for prosperity and a good harvest. Turn its head, and a small tongue appears.

In 1702, the lord of Hirado gave kiln master Imamura Yajibei the name Jōen (如猿), “like a monkey.” According to the Hirado Etsuzan kiln, this design was his humorous reply. The kiln’s account continues that the design was later exhibited at the 1867 Paris Exposition, where it caught the attention of Empress Eugénie, wife of Napoleon III.

The head and tongue are set in place before firing, and the figure is fired as a single piece, yet the head and tongue still move freely afterward. The technique has been passed down through generations of the Imamura family and is carried on today by Hitomi Imamura.

A centuries-old joke made in porcelain—and still being told.