Japanese fine old hand carved large scale wooden carving of an owl, cryptomeria (cedar) wood and in large scale, 14 inches in height.

Quality: hand carved with rich and deep realistic hair lines (photo). fine and old original dark patina from good age.

It has been crafted in the Japanese old school craftsmen style- the “Ittobori “style (carved from one wooden piece) by the Ainu Peoples, Hokkaido region in northern Japan.

fine original quality.

Dimensions: Big, 14 inches tall and 8.5 inches wide

Handmade and hand carved, one of a kind.

History of the wood carvings of Ainu peoples:
The Ainu minority people located in Hokkaido created a wood carving culture and export business going back to the early 20th century. Many Ainu carved wooden statues in particular bears known as Higuma to sell as souvenirs. Until then, these bear carvings had only existed as religious objects, usually as headdresses and prayer sticks. History tells us that during the early 20th century, a former bear hunter by the name of Umetaro Matsui ( 1901-1949) started carving bears in the town of Asahikawa after surviving an unfortunate run in with a bear.

Provenance: Old Southern Japan collection.

Lifetime guarantee of authenticity: All of our Asian works of art come with our Lifetime Authenticity Guarantee.

We have been dealing in fine authentic Japanese antiques including screens, garden ornaments, lanterns and water basins for many years. Our president personally travels to Japan each year to meet his network partners who assist him in finding best examples. He personally inspects each antique to ensure its old age, authenticity, and quality condition.