Ainu knife on ebay?

[tom hyle]

#290080024906

[Andrew]

Looks like it to me. Very cool!

[Jim McDougall]

Hi Tom,
Although we are not supposed to note items in auction in progress, I cannot resist noting the possible significance of this unusual item. This is what is known as a 'makiri' ,an Ainu mans utility knife, and of extreme importance to the Ainu man as it was used to craft his everyday and religious items.(see "Ainu: Spirit of a Northern People", Fitxhugh & Dubreuil, 1999, p.292,fig.42.8). Given its provenance, it may be associated with the St.Louis Exposition of 1904, where a small group of Ainu produced items which were sold, and is where the item shown in the previously mentioned book was acquired (also of crescent shape).

Good to see you posting

All the best,
Jim

[Andrew]

Photo for reference:

[tom hyle]

My impression was that the deceased was a sailor, and collected during his travels; likely from the native lands. There was also a large wooden (poly?)nesian eating knife that went for a song, and an interesting smoking pie of antler, but the photos are down.

[Jim McDougall]

Thanks Tom, interesting observation , if I recall he was indeed a maritime man, and it would be difficult to say where he obtained this item, or for that matter the others. Since he was situated in the midwest at the period noted it seemed plausible that the St.Louis association may well be, and it is as difficult to retrace provenance with these naval guys as to discern the diffusion of various weapons with trade. In any case, it is a truly fascinating item from the Ainu regardless

[tom hyle]

Yeah; kudos to Andrew for snatching the photo before it was gone.

[tom hyle]

Ainu sword on ebay: #230209229203

[Jim McDougall]

Thanks for posting this Tom.
Ainu weapons are probably among the most esoteric seen among ethnographic weapons, so its always interesting when one comes up. While it is known the Ainu obtained thier sword blades from Japan through trade, it is amazing to see one as old as this example is stated, from Mogusa school c.1469. I suppose that is really not unusual as early Japanese blades seem considered relatively common, but it is still amazing to me. I recall talking with a Japanese gentleman with a number of these swords, who acted as if a 4 or 5 hundred year old sword was no big deal.

It is interesting that the scabbard is plain, as the Ainu were great woodcarvers and usually highly decorated thier scabbards.
I am curious on the geometric device carved in the blade, and wonder what the symbolism might mean. It seems that some narratives note the designs used by the Ainu as simply aesthetically favored without specific meaning, which I find hard to believe in an ancient animist culture.

It would seem the geometric designs here do resemble loosely the symmetric designs embroidered on the garment worn by the Ainu, though in the material I reviewed there was not one that closely matched. Possibly the design might represent the spread wings of a bird ? The outline of the design does resemble a 'bracket' type figure which often appeared in embroidered designs in these garments.

It would be great to hear other ideas.

[Rick]

Hi Jim,

I find myself reminded of P.N.W. carving styles (Haida etc.) when I look at the handle of this knife .

Have you ever read the 1930's novel Eastward Flows The Current ?

[fearn]

Hi Jim,

Hope you don't mind an uninformed and impertinent question, but what are the reasons to believe (other than the seller's statement) that the sword is connected with the Ainu? I'm still trying to reconcile the two holes seen in the blade with the one hole (sorry, forgotten the proper name) in the plain scabbard, so that I can believe that the sword and scabbard belong together.

Can you enlighten me?

F

[Jim McDougall]

Hi Rick,
You have a pretty sharp eye there Rick! There are indeed distinct connections between the Ainu and the Indians of the Pacific Northwest, and the overall anthropological complexities get pretty fascinating. A good book concerning pertinant material is "The Shamans Coat" but dont recall other details at the moment.
I had not heard of the 1930's novel you mentioned but sounds really interesting. It seems you and I have the same interests in lots of these old adventure books....what got me going on the Khevsurs was Richard Halliburton's "Seven League Boots".

Fearn, your question is not in the least bit pertinant, and its good to hear from you. Actually, in my own way, I was asking the same questions and was hoping someone better informed on these weapons than I, might address these issues. I tried to find anything that might directly suggest the blade had been decorated by the Ainu, but as I noted, found nothing that would with any certainty indicate it was.

What I found even more amazing than the suggestion this is a 15th century Japanese blade, and even more esoteric, an Ainu weapon, was that the highest bid was so low. I tend to read these descriptions warily, and despite authorative comments, felt uncertainty.
These weapons of the Ainu come up so incredibly infrequently that it would be difficult to guage the sellers claim against other known examples.

The last Ainu sword I saw posted on the forums was posted by Therion Arms in January of 2001. It was first mistaken for a Korean sword, but was correctly identified as Ainu in subsequent comments. There was one other sold by Seven Stars about two or three years ago.

As noted, not only is this scabbard not flat, nor carved, it is rounded as for typical Japanese Wakizashi saya. It cannot be disputed that this is a Japanese blade, and the carved repeated designs on the blade, along with the groove, may well be 'horimono' (carvings) that were applied as good luck charms in often stylized designs.
Unless the design can be directly associated to either a known Japanese or Ainu design or fugure, and without a distinctive Ainu scabbard or hilt, there is nothing to say this sword is Ainu. My comments should have been more direct and expressed that.

I am hoping for some insight into the significance of these markings, and wish the seller might have added more on how the Ainu attribution was determined.

All very best regards,
Jim