Chinese calendar animals

© Epoch

1500: Year of the Ox

An ox family surrounded by auspicious symbols, from the red Mount Fuji in the distance, to the lucky mallet and turtle in the foreground. The parents admire their white calf, and the bull pulls a cart laden with the usual treasure items.

This puzzle has smaller pieces than the standard size.

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An Epoch puzzle: 1500 pieces; 75 x 50 cm (30" x 20")
Code: E15085 (15-085 on package)
Retail price ¥3000 (approx. US$28.04 €23.81 £20.41)
Shipping from ¥1200 (N. America, Europe, Australasia: approx. US$11.21 €9.52 £8.16)
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© Izumi Kazumi

1000: Year of the Ox (Kazumi)

A splendidly dressed ox rests peacefully by the elegant light carriage it must be responsible for, and a pile of gold coins, paintings, red coral, and other treasure.

Izumi Kazumi is an animal artist who graduated from Osaka University fine arts department in 1984. Izumi is her family name.

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An Appleone puzzle: 1000 pieces; 75 x 50 cm (30" x 20")
Code: A10855 (1000-855 on package)
Retail price ¥3600 (approx. US$33.64 €28.57 £24.49)
Shipping from ¥1200 (N. America, Europe, Australasia: approx. US$11.21 €9.52 £8.16)
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© Epoch

1500: Year of the Rat

Piles of treasure are surrounded by all the classic symbols of good fortune: shō-chiku-bai (the pine, bamboo, and plum combination), cranes, irises, and of course Mount Fuji, all to celebrate the Year of the Rat.

This puzzle has smaller pieces than the standard size.

In stock
An Epoch puzzle: 1500 pieces; 75 x 50 cm (30" x 20")
Code: E15084 (15-084 on package)
Retail price ¥3000 (approx. US$28.04 €23.81 £20.41)
Shipping from ¥1200 (N. America, Europe, Australasia: approx. US$11.21 €9.52 £8.16)
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© Izumi Kazumi

1000: Year of the rat (Kazumi)

The Year of the Rat brings, well, rats, but these rats also bring a huge cart laden with treasure, with lots of other auspicious symbols, from red coral to Mount Fuji...

Izumi Kazumi is an animal artist who graduated from Osaka University fine arts department in 1984. Izumi is her family name.

In stock
An Appleone puzzle: 1000 pieces; 75 x 50 cm (30" x 20")
Code: A10841 (1000-841 on package)
Retail price ¥3600 (approx. US$33.64 €28.57 £24.49)
Shipping from ¥1200 (N. America, Europe, Australasia: approx. US$11.21 €9.52 £8.16)
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© Mori Seikaku

1500: Year of the Boar (Seikaku)

A family of wild boars looks happy with the pile of treasure it has accumulated. The scene is auspicious, with a bright red Mount Fuji in the background, and the usual surrounding tokens of good fortune.

In the original Chinese zodiac, this position in the cycle is represented by the pig, but traditionally in Japan the wild boar (inoshishi) is chosen.

This puzzle has smaller pieces than the standard size.

In stock
An Epoch puzzle: 1500 pieces; 75 x 50 cm (30" x 20")
Code: E15083 (15-083 on package)
Retail price ¥3000 (approx. US$28.04 €23.81 £20.41)
Shipping from ¥1200 (N. America, Europe, Australasia: approx. US$11.21 €9.52 £8.16)
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© Izumi Kazumi

1000: Fortune-bearing boar cubs (Kazumi)

The boar (inoshishi) is one of the animals in the Japanese version of the zodiac (in the original Chinese vesion this is a pig). Here a whole family of them have assembled an enormous pile of treasure in a delightful rural setting, symbolising the good fortune to be anticipated.

Izumi Kazumi is an animal artist who graduated from Osaka University fine arts department in 1984. Izumi is her family name.

In stock
An Appleone puzzle: 1000 pieces; 75 x 50 cm (30" x 20")
Code: A10828 (1000-828 on package)
Retail price ¥3600 (approx. US$33.64 €28.57 £24.49)
Shipping from ¥1200 (N. America, Europe, Australasia: approx. US$11.21 €9.52 £8.16)
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© Ozuma Kaname

1000: Dog family with Kishimojin (Kaname)

The dog has long been taken as a symbol of easy childbirth, and here the litter of puppies (six in all) sit with their mother at the foot of Kishimojin. This latter has an interesting story - her name is literally "Devil-child-mother-god", and she started out as an evil character, whose favourite activity was eating other people's babies. But she was persuaded by Shaka-sama (the historical Buddha) to reform, and became a protector of children and augurer of easy childbirth.

More on Kishimojin at Mark Schumacher's Buddhist Corner

The painter Ozuma Kaname was born in 1939, in Niigata. He studied traditional Japanese art, and his pictures are generally based on traditional themes.

Ozuma is his family name: he signs paintings with the single character of his given name only.

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A Yanoman puzzle: 1000 pieces; 50 x 75 cm (20" x 30")
Code: Y101296 (10-1296 on package)
Retail price ¥3000 (approx. US$28.04 €23.81 £20.41)
Shipping from ¥1200 (N. America, Europe, Australasia: approx. US$11.21 €9.52 £8.16)
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© Izumi Kazumi

1000: Playful puppies (Kazumi)

Puppies play in a charming rural setting. A naturalistic blue Mount Fuji looms in the distance. The scene is completed by a large pot full of treasure.

Izumi Kazumi is an animal artist who graduated from Osaka University fine arts department in 1984. Izumi is her family name.

In stock
An Appleone puzzle: 1000 pieces; 75 x 50 cm (30" x 20")
Code: A10812 (1000-812 on package)
Retail price ¥3600 (approx. US$33.64 €28.57 £24.49)
Shipping from ¥1200 (N. America, Europe, Australasia: approx. US$11.21 €9.52 £8.16)
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© Izumi Kazumi

1000: Golden cockerel (Kazumi)

The cockerel is said to be auspicious in regard to money matters, and this splendid creature is called "golden" not for the colour of his plumage, but for the golden eggs guarded by his mate. The surroundings are filled with more of the customary symbols of good fortune: pine, bamboo, plum, cherry, and more.

Izumi Kazumi is an animal artist who graduated from Osaka University fine arts department in 1984. Izumi is her family name.

In stock
An Appleone puzzle: 1000 pieces; 75 x 50 cm (30" x 20")
Code: A10792 (1000-792 on package)
Retail price ¥3600 (approx. US$33.64 €28.57 £24.49)
Shipping from ¥1200 (N. America, Europe, Australasia: approx. US$11.21 €9.52 £8.16)
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© Mori Seikaku

1500: Year of the Monkey (Seikaku)

A monkey family: Mama, Papa, and three offspring who illustrate the old adage of "See no evil, hear no evil, speak no evil". They are surrounded by piles of treasure, coins, nuggets, and bars of gold, while rest of the picture is filled with the usual auspicious symbols, from Mount Fuji to the turtle in the foreground.

No biographical details, but the artist Mori Seikaku specialises in animal and flower scroll paintings. He signs his work the traditional way, with the characters for his given (brush) name, Seikaku (lit. 'nest of the crane') and a seal of the same.

This puzzle has smaller pieces than the standard size.

In stock
An Epoch puzzle: 1500 pieces; 75 x 50 cm (30" x 20")
Code: E15078 (15-078 on package)
Retail price ¥3000 (approx. US$28.04 €23.81 £20.41)
Shipping from ¥1200 (N. America, Europe, Australasia: approx. US$11.21 €9.52 £8.16)
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© Izumi Kazumi

1000: Year of the monkey (Kazumi)

The full title of this puzzle is "Difficulties overcome, and problems removed", an elaborate pun, in which the first part matches the name of the plant nandina with the bright red berries, and the second part matches "nine monkeys". And those are what we see in the picture, along with all the usual auspicious signs, from Mount Fuji to the rope-encircled rock.

Izumi Kazumi is an animal artist who graduated from Osaka University fine arts department in 1984. Izumi is her family name.

Not available
Discontinued February 2021
An Appleone puzzle: 1000 pieces; 75 x 50 cm (30" x 20")
Code: A10772 (1000-772 on package)
Retail price ¥3600

© Row. V. Ogasawara

1000: Fuji horses (Ogasawara)

Two fine steeds gallop below Mount Fuji; Ogasawara's style is soft and flowing yet brings out the muscular strength of the pair. By tradition, we are told, a black horse symbolizes a prayer for rain, and a red horse a prayer for the sun.

Few biographical details are available, but Ogasawara has worked as a background artist for anime production, and specialises in animal portraits.

Recent works by this artist all bear the unexplained copyright declaration "Row. V. Ogasawara." Perhaps "Row" is a nickname, but the initial is a mystery, and on earlier puzzles "Row. E. Ogasawara" has also been seen.

In stock
An Appleone puzzle: 1000 pieces; 75 x 50 cm (30" x 20")
Code: A10474 (1000-474 on package)
Retail price ¥3600 (approx. US$33.64 €28.57 £24.49)
Shipping from ¥1200 (N. America, Europe, Australasia: approx. US$11.21 €9.52 £8.16)
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© Harai Kayomi / Studio Oz

3000: Dragons of five colours (Kayomi)

This challenging puzzle includes no less than five of Kayomi's fluffy but fierce dragons. Five is the number of ancient Chinese elements, which are associated with the cardinal directions (including "centre"), and also with colours. So the central yellow dragon symbolises imperial authority, and manifests rank by having five claws and holding the magic ball. Around the four corners are the four protectorate dragons: Black to the north, Blue to the east, Red to the south, and White to the west. (These also match with the colours of the four protectorate gods.)

No biographical details available. She signs her given name Kayomi in Roman letters.

This puzzle has smaller pieces than the standard size.

In stock
An Epoch puzzle: 3000 pieces; 102 x 73 cm (40" x 29")
Code: E21105 (21-105 on package)
Retail price ¥4800 (approx. US$44.86 €38.10 £32.65)
Shipping from ¥2050 (N. America, Europe, Australasia: approx. US$19.16 €16.27 £13.95)
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© Hojo Yuka / Sankoh

1000: Kannon rides the Dragon

A very matronly Kannon, the Goddess of Mercy, stands barefoot amidships on a rather nice dragon. In her left hand she holds a flower (perhaps a lotus flower), while the dragon similarly clutches the symbolic Chintamani Stone (or "treasure ball").

This is a standard pose for Kannon, and this version is subdued in tone yet full of details. The image also includes a complete sutra for the elimination of disasters — this is essentially in Sanskrit transliterated into ancient Chinese, so a typical Japanese reader can make no more meaning of it than you can. Although Kannon is often known as "Goddess of Mercy", experts in Buddhism tell us she is really Avalokitêsvara, who was a man...

In stock
An Appleone puzzle: 1000 pieces; 50 x 75 cm (20" x 30")
Code: A10676 (1000-676 on package)
Retail price ¥3000 (approx. US$28.04 €23.81 £20.41)
Shipping from ¥1200 (N. America, Europe, Australasia: approx. US$11.21 €9.52 £8.16)
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© Harai Kayomi / Studio Oz

450: White tiger of the west (Kayomi)

The white tiger, protector god of the west, looking suitably fierce, yet in Kayomi's characteristically soft style. The box includes the characters for 'West: white tiger', and the Chinese reading 'Bai-hu' for "White tiger."

No biographical details available. She signs her given name Kayomi in Roman letters.

This puzzle has smaller pieces than the standard size.

In stock
An Epoch puzzle: 450 pieces; 38 x 26 cm (15" x 10")
Code: E08038 (08-038 on package)
Retail price ¥1400 (approx. US$13.08 €11.11 £9.52)
Shipping from ¥600 (N. America, Europe, Australasia: approx. US$5.61 €4.76 £4.08)
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© Epoch

500: Twelve zodiac animals

A collection of delightful images faithfully representing the twelve animals of the Chinese zodiac, or year cycle. In the centre, Mount Fuji has a rising sun emblazoned 招福 (shō-fuku), referring to the bringing of good luck.

In stock
An Epoch puzzle: 500 pieces; 53 x 38 cm (21" x 15")
Code: E06110 (06-110 on package)
Retail price ¥2000 (approx. US$18.69 €15.87 £13.61)
Shipping from ¥800 (N. America, Europe, Australasia: approx. US$7.48 €6.35 £5.44)
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© Epoch

500: Beasts of the zodiac (Taki)

All twelve animals from the Chinese zodiac, each labelled with the kanji for the sign. (These are different from the ordinary kanji for the animal.)

Taki is the brushname of a young freelance illustrator specialising in plants and animals, with a self-described style of "Japanese modern".

In stock
An Epoch puzzle: 500 pieces; 53 x 38 cm (21" x 15")
Code: E79115 (79-115 on package)
Retail price ¥2600 (approx. US$24.30 €20.63 £17.69)
Shipping from ¥600 (N. America, Europe, Australasia: approx. US$5.61 €4.76 £4.08)
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