Ainu Inau doll (Sapanpe)

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.

Inau dolls from Hokkaido.
Inau is a wooden staff-like object, a ritual implement of the Ainu people, and a symbol to ward off evil. It is said that people made inau and offered them to the gods to pray for recovery from illness, hunting safety and harvest, wind and flood damage, etc. Originally, inau were used to banish demons. Originally, they were meant to banish evil spirits, but they came to be used as “something that soothes the heart of the gods. Inau dolls are made using the same scraping method as used to ward off evil spirits.
The Ainu were a people who did not have toys, so they should not properly be included in the toy category, but these are the oldest examples of the chipping technique found in the Sasano carvings of Yamagata Prefecture and the Japanese bullfinch in various regions, and have a deep connection with toys.