Unique No Evils

Unieke HZZ - Einzigartige “3 Affen“

www.three-monkeys.info

 

Item:

3-monkey statue

HZZ beeldje

Drei-Affenfigur

Origin:

Bulgaria

Year:

Before 1945

Dimensions:

Ca. 6” high

Ca. 15 cm hoogte

Ca. 15 cm hoch

Description:

It's very interesting item. The language is Slavonic with some archaic letters, such "yat" http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Yat

In Russian those letters disappeared in 1917-1918, but in Bulgarian was used till the end of World War II (not used in 1921-1923)

I think it is Bulgarian. Words on front are well-reading:

"don't know" (sure "know", not "speak")

"don't see"

"don't hear" (or "don't sense")

and behind

"Japan mystery"

 

Words on bottom I can’t read with confidence. It's probably name and place of manufacturer The name is similar "Banyu L. Rals" (?) "from Oreshak"

 

"Oreshak" or "Oreshek" in slavonic "small nut" - is the name of many historical town-fortresses. Bulgarian Wikipedia knows 2 Oreshaks:

* in center http://bg.wikipedia.org/wiki/Орешак_(Област_Ловеч)

* in east http://bg.wikipedia.org/wiki/Орешак_(Област_Варна)

 

I doubt whether second Oreshak is right - it's turkey-languaged village.

 

Total: if statuette is original, it's Bulgarian figurine, probably from Oreshak http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Oreshak made before 1945 (but not from 1921 till 1923)

 Information by courtesy of Alexey, Moscow, Russia