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Nacre wares, however, are very cheap in Oki; and these form another variety of meibutsu. The shells of the awabi, or 'sea-ear, which reaches a surprising size in these western waters, are converted by skilful polishing and cutting into wonderful dishes, bowls, cups, and other articles, over whose surfaces the play of iridescence is like a flickering of fire of a hundred colours.
And when he drew still nearer to look, suddenly the awabi changed itself into a huge serpent more than fifty feet in length; and it massed its black coils before the opening of the shrine, and hissed like the sound of raging fire, and looked so terrible, that Naomasu and those with him fled away -having been able to see naught else. And ever thereafter Naomasu feared and reverenced the god.
And this being an impious desire, both of the Kokuzo unitedly protested against it. But despite their remonstrances and their pleadings, he persisted angrily in his demand, so that the priests found themselves compelled to open the shrine. And the miya being opened, Naomasu saw within it a great awabi of nine holes so large that it concealed everything behind it.
This token was usually made of stone, though often of wood, and in later times of terra-cotta, of cast and wrought iron and even of gold. Under the direct influence of such a cult, other objects appealed to the imagination or served the temporary purpose of the worshipper as ex-voto to hang up in the shrines, such as the mushroom, awabi, various other shells and possibly the fire-drill.
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