Torr Antiques & Decorative Arts

Description

This is a superbly carved wooden bear shown prowling on four legs with its head bent to one side with teeth bared menacingly, Japanese mid 20th century. It is one of the smaller bears in the collection but the walnut colour and the deeply incised carving to simulate fur are particularly appealing. There is a Japanese character on the base of one of the back feet which we presume is the signature of the carver.

We have acquired a collection of twelve museum quality Japanese carved wooden bears of which this is one.

Dimensions: Width 35 cm, Depth 20 cm, Height 20 cm
Weight: 2.7 kg

Condition: Excellent condition with some minor wear commensurate with its age.

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 & packing: £7.50 within the UK. Please contact us for a quote if it is to be posted to an international destination.