Ki-uso is a charming traditional folk craft that depicts a small uso bird perched on a tree. Their origin can be traced back to 1591, when a flock of uso is said to have exterminated a swarm of bees that were impeding the construction of Dazaifu Tenmangu Shrine. From then on, uso were considered the messenger bird of Tenjin. The large inverted triangular eyes are a key characteristic of ki-uso, as are their distinctive feathers, which are thinly carved into dozens of curls with a chisel. Ki-uso are beloved as the guardian deity of good fortune and are used in the Tenmangu Shrine's annual Uso Kae ritual on January 7.