Northern Japan, South Eastern Russia
19th century
Deer horn, wood
Height 11 1/4 in (28.6 cm)
Provenance: London trade
Ainu men were woodcarvers, and the makiri was an essential element of an Ainu man's outfit. Men carved the sheaths themselves, choosing their own patterns, and the knife was suspended prominently from the belt and fastened by a netsuke-like toggle. This example carries a toggle carved in the form of a wolf head, a powerful talisman form in Ainu material culture. The sheath is carved with the geometric surface patterning characteristic of Ainu decorative woodwork.
The Ainu people of northern Japan and the adjacent regions of Sakhalin and the Kuril Islands developed a distinctive material culture that drew on both Japanese and Siberian traditions. The makiri served as both a cutting tool and a marker of male identity and skill, its carved sheath a demonstration of the owner's craft. This example retains an ancient and well worn patina consistent with a knife carried and used over a long period.
We ship free anywhere in the world, fully insured, packed by hand.
Northern Japan, South Eastern Russia
19th century
Deer horn, wood
Height 11 1/4 in (28.6 cm)
Provenance: London trade
Ainu men were woodcarvers, and the makiri was an essential element of an Ainu man's outfit. Men carved the sheaths themselves, choosing their own patterns, and the knife was suspended prominently from the belt and fastened by a netsuke-like toggle. This example carries a toggle carved in the form of a wolf head, a powerful talisman form in Ainu material culture. The sheath is carved with the geometric surface patterning characteristic of Ainu decorative woodwork.
The Ainu people of northern Japan and the adjacent regions of Sakhalin and the Kuril Islands developed a distinctive material culture that drew on both Japanese and Siberian traditions. The makiri served as both a cutting tool and a marker of male identity and skill, its carved sheath a demonstration of the owner's craft. This example retains an ancient and well worn patina consistent with a knife carried and used over a long period.
We ship free anywhere in the world, fully insured, packed by hand.
