Vintage Japanese Ainu Bear Kuma w/ Salmon Signed & Dated 1972 Sugi Wood ~13" Carving emphasizing function and durability over

emphasizing function and durability over ornament

Its rich surface hue was achieved through a traditional combination of persimmon tannin (柿渋

A small area of age-appropriate surface wear and a minor split at one joint

and the quality of a cage — its wood

Title 投け蹴鞠り

Vintage Japanese Ainu Bear Kuma w/ Salmon Signed & Dated 1972 Sugi Wood ~13" Carving emphasizing function and durability overA finely hand carved wooden bear clutching a salmon in its jaws, a classic motif rooted in the traditions of the Ainu people of northern Japan. These sculpted bearsknown collectively as Horiguma ()represent one of the most recognizable and beloved forms of Hokkaid folk art, merging spiritual reverence with regional craftsmanship. In Ainu cosmology, the bear (kimun kamuy, mountain god) was regarded as one of the most powerful deities, descending from