Hokkaidō Kubori Kuma
HUGE Vintage Japanese Ainu Ceremonial hand-carved Wood Bear | Hokkaidō kubori kuma
Age:1900s
Descriptive qualities& condition:
Dimensions: 19-0”l x 12-0”w x 11-0”h (weight: 24lbs)
The Ainu are indigenous people of northern Japan living and practicing their art and culture on the island of Hokkaido whose artisan hand-carved this realistic chum salmon and heavily carved wooden bear and made it in the 1940s. At the time these were first produced just after the war which had become an important part of their survival as a people. The size and detail of this Ainu bear are extremely rare, and not the typical three-dimensional wooden objects, flat reliefs, and folk crafts in the shape of bears are manufactured mainly in Hokkaido, known throughout Japan, and purchased by tourists worldwide. This LARGE bear was made as a fine original quality religious object and is carved from one wooden piece, its fur is rich and shows intricately carved hairlines made with a chisel, (Itta-bori technique) and it holds a salmon in its mouth: the most authentic design for the kubori kuma. The piece is made of heavy, light-colored zelkova wood, finished in a variegated colored enamel, and waxed to a beautiful patinated finish. This piece was purchased in 1985 in Hokkaido at a shop selling authentic Ainu artifacts and we were told that the bear was made by Umetaro Matsui, (1909-1949) who started carving bears in the Asahikawa-shi, and not as a souvenir-type replica. The piece is unsigned because at the time of making it was not custom to sign for it was made for the local population.
The Ainu had great reverence for bears and almost every home in Japan had a bori-kuma which represents their anchor to the past and their guide to the future. The large chum salmon held in the mouth of the bear represents a good harvest. Bears brought gifts from the deities and were regarded as the important mountain god in disguise. The Ainu have always worshiped the bear as a deity which resulted in a perfect match of carving their image to honor them.
Being expert carvers as part of their way of life, it was a natural choice for them to supplement their livelihood by carving images of bears from wood. In the early part of the 20th century, the Ainu were forced to relocate to Hokkaido to cultivate the land and become farmers. Due to the harsh winter conditions, they found it difficult in doing this and instead kept their way of life hunting, gathering, and carving small handheld images of the bear which are typically seen on the market and at auctions using modern methods of carving and scrap materials. During religious ceremonies and festivals, people donned their best clothes and there was a lot of drinking, dancing, and feasting. Prayers were said to the fire, house, and mountain gods, and the exhibition of the family and their bear was an honor to be shared. (see the attached image showing the bear festival; the ceremony to release the bear back into the wild; Ainu woman in full dress with the bear; and the interior and exterior of their structures).
Condition: Exceptional. “As is”, and retains the original craft/workmanship. No discoloration, chipping/cracking, or structural damage, with only slight surface wear on the edges of the paws.
HISTORICAL NOTE: The Ainu are indigenous people of Japan. “Ainu” means “human being” in the Ainu language. When the Meiji government brought Hokkaido into Japan’s domain, settlement and development had a drastic impact on the Ainu ways of life and culture. In 2008, 140 years after the island's annexation and 109 years after they had their nationality taken away from them, Japan officially recognized the Ainu as an indigenous people. The Hokkaido Former Aborigines Protection Act of 1899 declared the Ainu to be Japanese people — banning the Ainu from speaking their language, practicing their religion, and partaking in Ainu cultural activities. The Ainu traditionally practiced animism, (the belief that all-natural phenomena, including human beings, animals, and plants, but also rocks, lakes, mountains, weather, and so on, share one vital quality—the soul or spirit that energizes them—is at the core of most Arctic belief systems), and had no written language. The Ainu traditionally practiced animism and had no written language. Facing these challenges, the Ainu have persevered, carrying on their cultural heritage to this day. Official figures suggest that there are 24,000 Ainu living in Japan today, many of mixed ancestry, many more in denial of their roots for fear of discrimination.
... Read more
