Sapaunpe - Ainu Ceremonial Crown
Collected in late 1800s or early 1900s
Vine, willow, cotton, wood
46 cm long, 17 cm diameter
Cat. 132511
© The Field Museum
This artifact is a ceremonial crown worn by Ainu men. It was donated by Robert H. Baker in 1912, suggesting that it was collected in Hokkaido during the late 1800s or early 1900s. Field Museum documents from that era say that it was "worn by bear-hunters", although more recent research suggests that these headdresses were worn by males during the iyomante ritual or other special occasions - not during the hunt.
The iyomante, or "sending-back" ritual, is one of the most studied Ainu rituals by Japanese and Western scholars. To understand the ceremony, one must understand the Ainu cosmic view which separates the universe into two realms: The Ainu mosir, the physical world of earth, and the kamui mosir, the metaphysical world where spirits and ancestors dwell. The Ainu believed that all things in the Ainu mosir, including animate and inanimate objects, were controlled by a spirit visiting from the kamui mosir.
Bear-spirits, who were highly respected for their power, were trapped inside the bears the Ainu would hunt. When the bear was killed the spirit would be set free and would travel back to their world. Here, the spirit would rest, live, and perchance come back to the Ainu mosir as a bear sometime in the future. During the iyomante ritual a bear was ceremonially killed in order to set the bear-spirit free and was helped on their travel back to the spirit world.
A bear-cub would be captured near the end of winter and brought back to the Ainu village. It was then put into a large cage made from logs, but was taken very good care of, being provided with food, drink, and exercise on a regular basis. The iyomante was held in early autumn. Ample amounts of food and wine were made for the visitors who had gathered from around the region. The ceremony lasted three days during which there were feasts, greetings for the visitors, and dancing. The bear, draped in clothing and jewelry, was led around the ceremonial area and was shown gifts such as swords and quivers. Prayers were made asking for the bear-spirit to be pleased with its treatment while in captivity and its happiness with the gifts it had received. Arrows were then shot into the bear, killing it. The blood was sometimes caught and either drank by elders or sprinkled upon the ill. The bear was then skinned and its head removed. The head was decorated and placed upon the nusa. A prayer was offered to the bear-spirit asking it to return to the spirit world. Finally, a ceremonial arrow is fired in the direction of the kamui mosir, showing the spirit which way it was to travel.
The iyomante was a very public event and the major ritual in Ainu religious life. The best clothes were worn during this ceremony and there was great thought put into the types of gifts offered to the bear-spirit. Crowns, such as the one above, were necessary to complete the attire for this all-important ceremony. Iyomante are still performed in Hokkaido, and ceremonial crowns are still worn by male participants.
This particular crown is made from vines, and inau-like shavings are attached to the back. The more plentiful the shavings, the more valuable the crown. A small figure of a bear head is also affixed to the front of the crown. Other crowns of this type can have fox, eagles, or falcon heads. The six strips attached to this crown are of cotton but silk is also popular. They are to represent the hair and legs of the carving featured on the front of the crown.
(Commentary by Stev Weidlich)