Bear With Salmon - Ainu Work Circa 1950 - No. Ham10/24-2

Direct carving of wood - lustrous patina - a few micro-cracks in the upper part. The Ainu are an indigenous people living in northern Japan. For them, nature is inhabited by divine spirits called "kamuy," male or female, some benevolent, others malevolent. It is believed that the origin of these statuettes lies in the stylized animistic miniature bear figurines called "inoka." Kimun kamuy, when descending from the mountains, dons his bear costume. Like the Inuit of Canada and the Chukchi of Siberia, the Ainu perceive the bear as the equal of humans. From 1924 onward, production was encouraged by Prince Hirohito. After the war, carved wooden bears became widespread in homes. A decline began in the 1980s, coinciding with rural exodus. A detailed illustrated note on Ainu bears will be given to the buyer.