Namahage's deba bōchō (a type of Japanese kitchen knife)

NameSculpture of a knife

CultureJapanese

Date1960s

Place madeOga, Akita Prefecture, JAPAN, East Asia, ASIA

MediumWood, foil, paint, adhesive

Dimensions15 3/8 × 3 9/16 × 1 in. (39 × 9 × 2.5 cm)

Credit LineMuseum of International Folk Art, gift of YAMAMOTO Tsugio and the Oga City Tourism Association (Kankô kyôkai), A.2019.16.1

Terms

value (economic concept)
value (economic concept)

Object numberA.2019.16.1

ProvenanceThe knife belonged to the Oga City Tourism Association Board (Kankô kyôkai). Donor used to be president. It was made for this association to be used in demonstrations of Namahage ritual and festival by the Tourist Board, possibly in 1961 or 1962; it may have been involved in an event in Hokkaido in 1968 but it is unclear. It was probably made by a local Oga “preservation society” – a group that makes various Namahage related items (excluding Namahage masks, which are made by masters and specialists). Donor donated to MOIFA through Michael Dylan Foster.

DescriptionThis knife is comprised of wood with a painted and silver-foiled faux blade. The blade of the knife is wood that had been painted black. The handle of the knife is a plain brown wood.