Shopkeeper said they are garden ornaments...

[Medz]

The shopkeeper insisted that I buy these garden ornaments along with my other finds. Since I only needed to add $3, I relented. When I got home, I found out that the platform has a tomoe symbol at the bottom. And the rock is unusually heavy but non-magnetic. I think I just got myself a hammerstone, but not sure what the platform is supposed to be. Can anyone help me identify these two? Thank you very much in advance.

 

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[Butter Hat]

The shopkeeper insisted that I buy these garden ornaments along with my other finds. Since I only needed to add $3, I relented. When I got home, I found out that the platform has a tomoe symbol at the bottom. And the rock is unusually heavy but non-magnetic. I think I just got myself a hammerstone, but not sure what the platform is supposed to be. Can anyone help me identify these two? Thank you very much in advance.

Tomoe symbol? I haven't seen this before; can you explain?

 

[chub]

Yes, a very realistic bust of the president

 

[hollARDog]

Yes, a very realistic bust of the president

"Bump on a log"🤣😂🤣😂🤣

 

[Red-Coat]

Welcome to Tnet.

The Tomoe symbol can have between one and four commas. When there are three, it’s called a “mitsu-domoe” and most usually associated with Japanese Shintoism. I would think your ‘stand’ was a garden/outdoor shrine that housed a small statue; a plant/bonsai; or, more commonly, a lantern.

I don’t think the other stone is related to it. The Japanese attach cultural significance to all kinds of stones, such as Suiseki and Gongshi, and use them for decorative purpose in gardens and elsewhere… but usually because they have a natural shape that’s suggestive of something or an enigmatic abstract shape/texture/colouration. No idea if that’s the case here or if it’s just a stone.

 

[Medz]

Tomoe symbol? I haven't seen this before; can you explain?

This is what I have learned about it so far based on what I've seen on the net:

Tomoe (巴, also written 鞆絵),[a] commonly translated as "comma", is a comma-like swirl symbol used in Japanese mon (roughly equivalent to a heraldic badge or charge in European heraldry). It closely resembles the usual form of a magatama.

The tomoe appears in many designs with various uses. The simplest, most common patterns of the device contain from one to four tomoe, and are reminiscent of similar designs that have been found in wide distribution around the world. When circumscribed in a circle, it often appears in a set of three, with this design known as the mitsudomoe (三ツ巴).

Some view the mitsudomoe as representative of the threefold division (Man, Earth, and Sky) at the heart of the Shinto religion. Originally, it was associated with the Shinto war deity Hachiman, and through that was adopted by the samurai as their traditional symbol.

It is also commonly displayed on banners and lanterns used in festivals and rituals related to Amaterasu-ōmikami, who in the Kojiki confronts her brother Susanoo when he usurps her terrain on earth by dressing as an archer, adorned with magatama beads and 'an awesome high arm-guard' (itu nö takatömö).

A third element of its symbolic panorama concerns water, an association engendered by its swirling pattern. For this reason, it is said to be located on roofs and gables as a charm against fire.

The mitsudomoe symbol once signified the three treasures of Buddha.

 

[Medz]

Welcome to Tnet.

The Tomoe symbol can have between one and four commas. When there are three, it’s called a “mitsu-domoe” and most usually associated with Japanese Shintoism. I would think your ‘stand’ was a garden/outdoor shrine that housed a small statue; a plant/bonsai; or, more commonly, a lantern.

I don’t think the other stone is related to it. The Japanese attach cultural significance to all kinds of stones, such as Suiseki and Gongshi, and use them for decorative purpose in gardens and elsewhere… but usually because they have a natural shape that’s suggestive of something or an enigmatic abstract shape/texture/colouration. No idea if that’s the case here or if it’s just a stone.

I also think that the stone and the platform are originally together. Maybe the shopkeeper just put them together to sell them faster. I'm thinking perhaps the platform isn't a platform as assumed by the shopkeeper but actually a roof decor? Some temples would have that on their roofs in Japan. Anyway, I was just curious...not a loss at all for $3. 😅😁

 

[UnderMiner]

It's not a shrine, it's called a "kawara" and it's a traditional Japanese roofing tile also called a barrel tile. It may actually be ancient, best consult an expert from Japan or some university skilled in dating these beautiful pieces of art.