Vintage Japanese Ainu Bear Kuma w/ Salmon Signed Sugi Wood ~9" Usubata emphasizing function and durability over

emphasizing function and durability over ornament

which specialized in faithful re-creations of classical ukiyo-e

Contemporary

At 68 inches tall and 56 inches wide

hand painted

Vintage Japanese Ainu Bear Kuma w/ Salmon Signed Sugi Wood ~9" Usubata 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