Wood; deer horn; fiberexpand_more
The John R. Van Derlip Fund and the Mary Griggs Burke Endowment Fund established by the Mary Livingston Griggs and Mary Griggs Burke Foundation; purchase from the Thomas Murray Collectionexpand_more 2019.20.42
Ainu men were woodcarvers. Used as a cutting tool as well as for defense, knives (makiri) were an essential element of an Ainu man’s outfit. Men carved the sheaths themselves, choosing their own patterns. As a symbol of his carving skills, the knife was suspended prominently from the belt and fastened by a netsuke-like toggle, in this case a piece of deer horn.
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