Ceremonial container ("Shintoko") lid, and rope
date: label: Accession Date
content: 16 Jun 2005
label: Collection Date
content: 1999
name: label: Collector
content: Masahiro Nomoto
label: Donor Name
content: National Museum of Natural History
notes: label: Notes
content: Container: Wood with black lacquer. Round with horizontal ribs carved along sides. 4 legs attached to sides. Brass ornaments attached to legs. Long wood shavings tied around container, with ends draped along legs. Lid: Wood with black lacquer. Smooth on top and inside. Brass ornaments attached to rim. Rope: thick green cord with tassels at both ends. According to Chisato Dubreuil, this type of storage container was used to keep sake for ceremonial occasions and other items such as grains. They were considered to be the "treasure" of the house, and were kept in the corner of the chise (house) to the left of god's window. The wealth of the family was often judged by the number of lacquerware in the house. This style of the lacquerware is called "kema-ush-pe" in Ainu, which means "things with legs". Masahiro Nomoto, curator of the Ainu Museum at Shiraoi, purchased this used container from an antique shop in Kyoto, and adorned it with new inaw-kike, ceremonial wood shavings. Purchased for the 1999 NMNH exhibit "Ainu: Spirit of a Northern People."
label: Record Last Modified
content: 1 Dec 2014
label: Specimen Count
content: 3
place: label: Place
content: Japan, Asia
topic: label: Topic
content: Ethnology
culture: label: Culture
content: Ainu
setName: label: See more items in
content: Anthropology
dataSource: label: Data Source
content: NMNH - Anthropology Dept.
identifier: label: Accession Number
content: 2026093
label: USNM Number
content: E430695-0
objectType: label: Object Type
content: Container
physicalDescription: label: Diameter - Object
content: 41 cm
label: Height - Object
content: 39 cm