ID Number

Title

Item Name

Culture

Material

Date Made

Maker

Place Made

Date Owned

Owner

Acquisition Date

Source

Measurements

Condition

Accession Number

Description

Part a is a cup with a wide round opening, that tapers to a raised foot near the bottom. It has a carved scalloped band around its rim. The rest of the cup is textured. Part b is the saucer to the cup. It is raised on a cone-shaped piece, then flares out to a disk-shaped platform that is slightly upturned and narrows towards the centre to create a small cup-shape in the centre. There is a round hollow tube through the three sections. The entire surface of both the cone-shaped piece and the disk-shaped piece has grooved lines that widen on the outer edges.

Narrative

This group of Ainu objects was presented to the Museum in 1995 by representatives of the Sapporo Ainu Cultural Society so that their culture could be represented here. The Society works for the preservation and recognition of their culture. The Ainu are indigenous to the island of Hokkaido in northern Japan.

History Of Use

The cup and saucer (Ed9.3 a-b) and libation wands (Ed9.5-6) are used together in the kamuy-nomi ceremony. One wand sits horizontally across the top of the cup, which sits on the saucer. The other wand is placed beside them. Iku means drink, pasuy means stick and tuki means cup in the Ainu language. The pasuy originated in the Ainu culture, but the lacquered tuki used to be imported from Japan. Iku-pasuy is considered a sacred stick used as a messenger to kamuy (god). During the kamuy-nomi ceremony, white wine (sake) is placed into the cup and the wand is dipped into the libation and offered to the spirits. Used in ceremonies honouring the bear, an important symbol for the Ainu.