*THIS ITEM WEIGHS 2105 GRAMS WITHOUT PACKAGING, PLEASE SCROLL TO THE END OF THIS LISTING FOR SHIPPING DETAILS AND UPGRADES.
This listing is for a vintage higuma bear carving from the northern island of Hokkaido. The texture of the fur is rigorously carved, and it is depicted with a freshly caught salmon in its mouth. The entire bear has been fashioned from one single piece of wood, and it is hand carved. This piece is rather heavy, please read below regarding shipping and upgrades.
The Ainu people of Japan first started commercial wood carving back in the1920s. Traditionally their carvings consisted of religious objects, however dire economic circumstances forced them to turn to wood carving for tourists. Their wares, particularly the Higuma bear carvings, became very popular as souvenirs due to their very realistic appearance. The Emperor himself acquired a Higuma bear made by a highly talented carver named Umetaro Matsui in 1938. Following this Matsui won many awards for his work, and gradually these ornate carvings became recognised as beautiful works of art.
Size
H.19.4cm (7.6”) x L.32.4cm (12.7”) x W.17.3cm (6.8”)
Condition
It’s in pretty good condition aside from worn lacquer (nose, salmon, ears, and along some of the fur), and it has a split in the back. There’s also a nick in the wood on top from when it was made.
THESE ARE SHIPPING ESTIMATES BASED ON THE CURRENT GLOBAL SITUATION
**Germany, France, Greece, Spain, Poland, Austria, Slovakia, Lithuania, Slovenia: NO SHIPPING. Very strict and expensive packaging laws in place and we are not licensed to send products to these countries. We have no plan to register at this time because the process is in some cases very expensive and complicated, plus each country has its own set of regulations and application process.
**USA: SAL Sea Mail (approx. 11-12 weeks), an upgrade for EMS Express (10-15 days) available for an additional 6300 yen.
**UK , Canada, Australia, New Zealand, Switzerland, Norway: SAL Sea Mail (approx. 8-12 weeks depending on the destination), an upgrade for EMS Express (10-15 days) available for an additional 5100 yen.
**Asia: SAL Sea Mail (approx. 6-8 weeks), an upgrade for EMS Express (7-10 days) available for an additional 5750 yen.
**Russia: No shipping methods available.
