Pacify insects like the heroine from the anime movie. 

Studio Ghibli’s magical storylines often blur the boundaries between fantasy and reality by blending fantastical objects with ones that have a basis in real-world Japanese traditions. One such item is the Mushi-bue (“Insect Whistle“) from Ghibli’s 1984 film, Nausicaä of the Valley of the Wind, which is now in the spotlight as a stunning new necklace.

Called the “Mushi-bue Kubizakari” (“Insect Whistle Necklace“), this new piece of jewellery is based on the Mushi-bue used by Nausicaä to placate the rampaging insects in the movie. The way the whistle works is unconventional — instead of bringing it to your mouth to blow through it, the whistle is spun on the end of a cord, essentially working with the air to create the whistling sound.

▼ Nausicaä’s Mushi-bue.

Image: Studio Ghibli

While foreign viewers might think this is some sort of fictional item born from the creative mind of director Hayao Miyazaki, it’s actually based on the real-world Mushi-bue, which has a long history in Japan. Some reports refer to it as the oldest instrument in the world, tracing its history back 25,000 years to the Stone Age, where a thin bone fragment was twirled overhead to create the sound. These days, it’s commonly made from bamboo in rural areas, with many people having fond childhood memories of twirling them, although in the real world they’re designed to sound like an insect, instead of magically calming them.

▼ Thankfully, our insects aren’t as big as the ones in Nausicaä.

Image: Studio Ghibli

Whether you grew up with a Mushi-bue or were introduced to it through Nausicaä, Studio Ghibli has now come up with an elegant way of adding it to our everyday lives, by reproducing it in sterling silver.

The elongated shape, carved-square details, and hollow centre replicate the look of Nausicaä’s Mushi-bue in miniature form.

The 45-centimetre (17.7-inch) chain allows the whistle to sit subtly on the chest, and though the studio doesn’t make any comment about the pendant’s ability to make sound, it’s so beautifully made that we’ll feel at one with the insect kingdom just by wearing it.

The sterling silver chain and pendant come beautifully packaged in a box bearing the Japanese title of the movie, 風の谷のナウシカ (“Kaze no Tani no Naushika“).

Priced at 13,200 yen (US$88.80), the necklace was released on 4 October, and can be purchased at Donguri Kyowakoku stores in Japan and online. With so many of the studio’s recent merchandise releases centring on Totoro and Jiji, it’s nice to see Nausicaä in the spotlight again, as it’s been half a year since we last saw her, when she appeared as an eye-catching action figurine.

Source, images: Donguri Kyowakoku
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