Kuma-bori, B (wooden bear carving)

Description

• Please note that this is an old item, so some dust stains, age spots and scratches are part of the charm of old tools.
• Please note that it is sensitive to water.
• Please check the condition of used items with the pictures in advance. If you have any questions, please be sure to contact us before purchase.
• No returns after purchase. Please make your purchase after careful consideration.

The bear is the messenger of Kamui (god) for the Ainu people, and bear carving is representative of Hokkaido’s local toys, originating from the grand bear festival and other events.
The Ainu were a people who did not have toys, but they had a great fondness for handicrafts, and carving was their only special skill and art. Wooden bear carving began in the Taisho period (1912-1926) when the Tokugawa farm in Yakumo, run by the Owari Tokugawa family, modeled its bears after Swiss wooden carvings and had them made as a side job during off-season farming.