Artisan bear wood carving with fish unmarked likely Ainu art Hokkaido Japan

Artisan wooden carved bear with fish caught in its mouth. Unbranded Folk art style with facial red tinting that can be commonly seen with Hokkaido souvenir bear. Possible history Bori-kuma (熊彫り, also known as 北海道 木彫り熊 Hokkaido kubori kuma) are wooden carvings of bears that usually eat or bite into chum salmons. They were popular souvenirs of Hokkaido. The Ainu people traditionally carved these Kubori Kuma for religious purposes revering the Bear as a deity. Tinted red on the head and neck. It is said that almost every home in Japan had a bori-kuma. After WWII, Hokkaidō turned into a popular tourist destination. Travelers acquired wooden bear carvings as souvenirs for friends and family. The most famous carving is a bear holding a salmon in his mouth. No signature, stamp or sticker Size as shown Smoke free - pet free home. In preowned vintage condition wood, carving details with colors as shown. Some light evidence of use and age might be noted. Please expect incidental evidence of age and use, such as light scratches, scuffs, dust, toning or fading. One tiny piercing rear leg. Please view photos attached for condition review it is part of this preowned vintage carvings description. Preowned vintage items can have different perceptions of condition. Studying photos using enlarge zoom feature might be helpful could show this bears conditions better than any description words. If you have any questions or need to see any photos please don’t hesitate to ask.