With their intricate bending shell, claws and antennae, shrimp and lobster are ideal subjects for the master jizai metalworker. The flexible body of the shrimp has the positive meaning of the things going along smoothly and the spiny carcass of the lobster calls up samurai armor. The Japanese word for shrimp, ebi, translates literally as “old man of the sea”, suggesting longevity. In Japan, shrimp and lobster are served as special occasions and arranged in displays celebrating the New Year.
This type of lobster is called Ise ebi in Japanese as many of these lobsters are harvested in Ise Province, Mie Prefecture. It is said that the spiny shell of lobster protects people from demon (oni) and brings good luck. In some of regions in Ise province, there is an old custom of decorating the sacred rope at shrines (shimenawa) with a lobster shells.