*THIS ITEM WEIGHS 2005 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 dated Showa 51(1976). The texture of the fur is rigorously carved, and the bear has a salmon in its mouth. The entire bear has been fashioned from one single piece of wood, and comes with a display board.  This piece is a little unusual in that it has reddish coloured lacquer along its back, it’s a nice variation for those looking for something a little different.

The Ainu people of Japan first started commercial wood carving back in the 1920s. 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.    

Sizes

Bear:  H.14.5cm (5.7”) x L.28.8cm (11.3”) x W.16cm (6.2”)

Board:  H.2cm (0.7”) x 28.2cm (11.1”) x 18.4cm (7.2”)                                                             

Condition
The bear has some dust build up and there’s some minor wear on the lacquer.  The date is covered with marker on the bottom of the board, and there’s some wear along the edges and some light scratches and scuffing.                                                                       

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 Airmail (15-28 days) available for an additional 5200 yen. Combined shipping available (please send us a message) but please note that the price does not get cheaper for Airmail or EMS, in fact it becomes more expensive. If you want to save money and don't mind a very long 3 month wait, request sea mail (11-12 weeks depending on processing and backlogs at destination ports). Inexpensive Airmail Small Packet option unavailable.

**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. Combined shipping available (please send us a message) but please note that the price does not get cheaper for EMS, in fact it becomes more expensive. If you want to save money and don't mind a very long 3 month wait, request sea mail (11-12 weeks depending on processing and backlogs at destination ports). Inexpensive Airmail Small Packet and regular Airmail is currently unavailable.

**Asia: SAL Sea Mail (approx. 6-8 weeks), an upgrade for Airmail (15-21 days) available for an additional 1800 yen.

**Russia:  No shipping methods available.