Exceptionally Rare Antique '1800s', Japanese/Japan, Wooden Inu 犬 'Dog' Mask

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Exceptionally Rare Antique '1800s', Japanese/Japan, Wooden Inu 犬 'Dog' Mask

About the Item

Here is an exceptionally rare Japanese Inu ? (Dog) Mask. A museum quality piece. Thick, patina attesting to multiple times that this mask was culturally danced. All research strongly attests that this mask was made and used at sacred Shinto performances during the ancient Kagura shrine festivals. Given Japan's rapidly shrinking population, which is making small towns and their shrines close, it seems all the more likely that this is an actual Shrine mask. The dancer wearing this mask would have interacted with the crowd and passing out rice cakes. This would certainly explain how a mask would get such a full, deep, rich patina... this thing has patina on every square inch of the reverse. It is immensely difficult to determine the mask's age since its made of all natural elements and using the same techniques that the Japanese have been refining for hundreds of years. In my opinion its most likely from the mid to late 1800s. (Late Edo Period Mask) Its rare to come across a Japanese Inu ? (Dog) in general, its exceptionally rare to fine one that's so clearly evidenced as culturally important by having been used. Without question this piece is astounding from the perspective of its Patina. I have a Guatemalan mask that has 20-30 layers of paint on it which attests to it being used at a minimum of 30 years/times. That being said, this Japanese mask has thicker, deeper, more wide-spread patina... which is suggestive this mask was worn 50+ years/times...A cultural heritage item that demands to be preserved. The depth and thinness of carving is rare and is a direct nod to the talent of the carver. (Those nose area on the reverse is stunning...) I've had more than one antique Japanese masks with these red/white antique-vintage stickers on the back. They appear to have come from what must have been at the time, the premier, personal collection of Antique, Ethnographic, Japanese masks of that time. Mounted on custom metal stand (Included). A few prior paint touch-ups near worn-edges. Dimensions:6" wide 8" tall 4.5" deep Akita (dog) The Akita (???, Akita-inu, is a large breed of dog originating from the mountainous regions of northern Japan. There are two separate varieties of Akita: a Japanese strain, commonly called Akita Inu (inu means dog in Japanese) or Japanese Akita, and an American strain, known as the Akita or American Akita. Japanese history The Akita originates from native Japanese dogs from the Akita Prefecture of northern Japan and go as far back as 1000 years. This breed in the 1600s was involved in dog fighting, which at the time was popular in Japan. From the 1500s into the 1800s, the Akita served as companions for samurai. During the early 20th century the Akita was in decline, as a result of being cross bred with the German Shepherd Dog, St. Bernard, Mastiff. As a result, a lot of specimens started to lose their spitz characteristics and instead took on drop ears, straight tails, non-Japanese color (black masks, and any color other than red, white or brindle), and loose skin. A native Japanese breed known as Matagi (hunting dog) was used along with the Hokkaido Inu breed to mix back into the remaining Akita Inu to bring back the spitz phenotype and restore the Akita breed. The modern day Japanese Akita have relatively few genes from western dogs and are spitz in phenotype after the reconstruction of the breed took place, however the larger American breed of Akita largely descends from the mixed Akita before the restoration of the breed, and thus American Akita are typically mixed and not considered true Akita by the Japanese standard. The Akita were used during the Russo-Japanese War to track prisoners of war and lost sailors. During World War II the Akita was also crossed with German Shepherds in an attempt to save them from the wartime government order for all non-military dogs to be culled. Some were used as scouts and guards during the war. The ancestors of the American Akita were originally a variety of the Japanese Akita, a form that was not desired in Japan due to the markings, and which is not eligible for show competition. Brindle Japanese Akitas The story of Hachiko, the most revered Akita of all time, helped push the Akita into the international dog world. Hachiko was born in 1923 and owned by Professor Hidesaburo Ueno of Tokyo. Professor Ueno lived near the Shibuya Train Station in a suburb of the city and commuted to work every day on the train. Hachiko accompanied his master to and from the station each day. On May 25, 1925, when the dog was 18 months old, he waited for his master's arrival on the four o'clock train, but Professor Ueno had a fatal brain haemorrhage at work. Hachiko continued to wait for his master's return. He travelled to and from the station each day for the next nine years. He allowed the professor's relatives to care for him, but he never gave up the vigil at the station for his master. His vigil became world-renowned when, in 1934, shortly before his death, a bronze statue was erected at the Shibuya train station in his honor. This statue was melted down for munitions during the war, but a new one was commissioned after the war. Each year on April 8 since 1936, Hachiko's devotion has been honoured with a solemn ceremony of remembrance at Tokyo's Shibuya railroad station. Eventually, Hachiko's legendary faithfulness became a national symbol of loyalty, particularly to the person and institution of the Emperor. In 1931, the Akita was officially declared a Japanese Natural Monument. The Mayor of Odate City in Akita Prefecture organized the Akita Inu Hozonkai to preserve the original Akita as a Japanese natural treasure through careful breeding. In 1934 the first Japanese breed standard for the Akita Inu was listed, following the breed's declaration as a natural monument of Japan. In 1967, commemorating the 50th anniversary of the founding of the Akita Dog Preservation Society, the Akita Dog Museum was built to house information, documents and photos. There is a tradition in Japan, that when a child is born they receive a statue of an Akita. This statue symbolizes health, happiness, and a long life.

Dimensions:
Height: 8 in (20.32 cm)Width: 6 in (15.24 cm)Depth: 4.5 in (11.43 cm)
Materials and Techniques:
Other,Hand-Carved
Place of Origin:
Japan
Period:
Mid-19th Century
Date of Manufacture:
1850
Condition:
Seller Location:
Brunswick, ME
Reference Number:
1stDibs: LU6081226480322