Inaw idol
Ainu people, Hokkaido, Japan
Willow wood, pigment
First half 20th century
18.5 inches high (10 cm)

An unusual shaved wood inaw from the Ainu people of Hokkaido, Japan. Inaw of various shapes represented birds, which were believed to carry prayers to various gods; this bulb-shaped inaw is especially rare. The knowledge of which shapes were associated with which gods or for which particular purposes has been lost over time.
#3839

$1100