Torr Antiques & Decorative Arts

Description

This is a large Japanese bear shown growling while pinning a salmon to a rock with its front paws on an integral base all superbly carved from a single piece of timber, probably cedar, the favoured medium of the Hokkaido carvers. The bear has a black finish which contrasts with the paler colour of the salmon and the rock on which it stands. It has a waxed lustrous finish.

Dimensions: Length 39 cm x Depth 21 cm x Height 33 cm
A standard 330ml drinks can is shown for scale in the final photograph.
Weight 4.1 kg

Condition: Excellent with some wear from handling which has, on raised areas of the fur, exposed the pale wood underneath as you would expect from a 50 plus year old carving. There are some fine, shallow shrinkage cracks on the back of the bear which are stable and do little to detract from this wonderful carving.

The Japanese have a strong tradition of wood carving but the heritage of bear sculptures dates back to 1922, when Yoshichika Tokugawa, a feudal lord, brought folk crafts back from his trip to Switzerland, and used them as models to promote woodcarving as a side business for the farmers on the island of Hokkaido. In 1924, the first Hokkaido-made bear woodcarving was created by a dairy farmer, modeled after this Swiss folk craft. In time, a craft industry developed producing high quality carvings of bears in different poses which were sold to tourists and collectors from around the world. Though the craft is in decline due to the time required to carve one of these bears its history is celebrated in a dedicated museum in Yakumo, Hokkaido containing over 300 bear carvings including the first ever carving and a magnificent bear presented to the Emperor of Japan.

Postage and packing: £12 within the UK. Please contact us for a quote to send overseas.

Please use the enquiry form to request further details of this item or make a purchase. Alternatively, call David on +44 7931 370372