Vintage Japanese Ainu Bear Kuma w/ Salmon Signed & Dated 1972 Sugi Wood ~13" Carving A small area of age-appropriate

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

Title 投け蹴鞠り

born 1945) is a renowned Kyoto-based printmaker celebrated for his evocative portrayals of Japan’s traditional streets and architecture

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

Sugi wood - Japanese cedar - frame

Vintage Japanese Ainu Bear Kuma w/ Salmon Signed & Dated 1972 Sugi Wood ~13" Carving A small area of age-appropriateA 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