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Japanese Ainu Carved Bear with Glass Eyes and Ivory Teeth

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DrFluffy's loves1207 of 97451960 - B.S.A. Motorcycles Sales BrochureNewbie - what is this?
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    Posted 10 years ago

    ho2cultcha
    (5051 items)

    i have a lot of bears around, but this is the cutest one ever! handcarved - very hard wood [what kind?]. Glass eyes and i think the teeth are ivory. This is blackforest, right? made in Switzerland?

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    Comments

    1. Alan2310 Alan2310, 10 years ago
      I love carving, nice find, look Small ??
      Alan
    2. ho2cultcha ho2cultcha, 10 years ago
      thanks Alan. it's a little over 5 inches long.
    3. kyratango kyratango, 10 years ago
      Dito Alan and CindB!
      Very nice find :-)
    4. DrFluffy DrFluffy, 10 years ago
      What a cute bear...
    5. Alan2310 Alan2310, 10 years ago
      Expression on the first pic let me think, is coming toward me,, better run.. :(
      5 Inch not bad at all.
      Alan
    6. ho2cultcha ho2cultcha, 10 years ago
      thanks CindB, kyratango, DrFluffy, and Alan2310! it really is the cutest little bear!! do you think it's blackforest or maybe Japanese?
    7. kyratango kyratango, 10 years ago
      Black forest!
    8. ho2cultcha ho2cultcha, 10 years ago
      thank you kyratango. i began to wonder after seeing a beautifully carved black bear w/ similar glass eyes which was made in Japan.
    9. kyratango kyratango, 10 years ago
      For the wood, most said walnut. :-)
      Groaarr!
    10. ho2cultcha ho2cultcha, 10 years ago
      thanks kyratango. yes, it does look like walnut.
    11. Shawnl86 Shawnl86, 10 years ago
      His face is comical, but in a good way, as if he just found the biggest berry patch in the woods and its time to chow down!
    12. Vintagefran Vintagefran, 10 years ago
      Isn't he delightful. I love his expression
    13. surfdub66 surfdub66, 10 years ago
      He looks happy to see you ;-)
    14. Vintagefran Vintagefran, 10 years ago
      Hi ho2cultcha, I Love these little bears, I have a couple I must get around to posting. I too have saw a nice Japanese one with eyes like this. I wonder how can you tell if it's Black Forest or not?
    15. Vintagefran Vintagefran, 9 years ago
      Hi ho2cultcha, I've been doing some online browsing and found these Anui Bears. Look very like yours here.
      http://www.littleshavers.com/BearsofJapan.html
    16. ho2cultcha ho2cultcha, 9 years ago
      Wow! very nice work Vintagefran! that's my bear! i've been feeling like it was actually japanese now for the last few months, but your link confirms it for me. thank you very much!
    17. Vintagefran Vintagefran, 9 years ago
      A pleasure ho2cultcha. Ive been reading more, it seems he could still be Black Forest, from Russia, Black Forrest Ainu :) some of them migrated there...
      http://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ainu_people
    18. Vintagefran Vintagefran, 9 years ago
      Wherever he was made he's lovely. I've seen some really nicely carved ones with Japanese markings. I'd love one if I ever find one
    19. Vintagefran Vintagefran, 9 years ago
      Thanks for posting him, its taught me a lot :)
    20. ABklynguy ABklynguy, 9 years ago
      that is really nice, good for you
    21. Vintagefran Vintagefran, 9 years ago
      Hi ho2cultcha, I have some new bears dissimilar from your chap here & wondered if you'd mind if I linked them? I'll post them tomorrow. They were sold as Black Forest but have the same eyes and look as yours, I'm sure they're Ainu. Ones missing an eye but I'm so pleased to have got them, they're beautifully carved. The eyes that remain are Tiny!! :)
    22. shareurpassion shareurpassion, 9 years ago
      This is a great carving. Very nice.
    23. ho2cultcha ho2cultcha, 9 years ago
      thank you Vintagefran, ABklynguy, and shareurpassion. no problem linking my bear w/ yours Vintagefran!
    24. Vintagefran Vintagefran, 9 years ago
      Thank you Ho2. I prefer your bear here. He looks better carved. But if mine had all their teeth and eyes they'd be very similar. I notice their tails differ from the Black Forest bears I have too. They come away from the body on these chaps. The black forest tails are more like 'bumps'. Just little differences but they all add up..to them being made 1/2 a world apart!
    25. darkflender, 9 years ago
      Antique Carved Black Forest Wood Bear with Bone Eyes & Teeth
    26. ho2cultcha ho2cultcha, 9 years ago
      thanks darkflender, but i'm certain that this is an Ainu carved bear from Japan from around 1900.
    27. Vintagefran Vintagefran, 9 years ago
      Hi ho2. How nice to see this post reinvigorated:) I didn't know when I bought mine that they're missing their bone teeth, still lovely though. I notice me Black Forest bears are carved from various wood but all the Ainu bears I've seen are made from a denser hard wood, heavier in comparison to the BFs of the same size. Yours looks like a hard wood too, I wonder if all, or most, Ainu bears are?
    28. Vintagefran Vintagefran, 9 years ago
      Hi again ho2cultcha. I hope you don't mind, I thought I'd link my 'gummy bears',
      http://www.collectorsweekly.com/stories/161563-a-family-of-japanese-ainu-bears
      The style of these bears is very distinctive, with their smooth noses and black & white teeny weeny eyes.

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