Los 4060

Japan
Ainu people of Japan

Abgabe von Vorgeboten möglich

Aus dem Katalog
Fotografie des 19. – 21. Jahrhunderts (Katalog nur online verfügbar)
Auktionsdatum 29.11.2025

Photographers: Baron Raimund von Stillfried-Ratenicz (1839-1911), Uchida Kuichi (1844-1875), Tamoto Kenzō (1832-1912), and unknown. Ainu people of Japan. 1870s-1890s. 10 mostly hand-colored albumen prints, mounted to boards. Each circa 20,5 x 26,5 cm or reverse (24,5 x 32 cm). Some with number and title in lower corners in the negative.

The indigenous Ainu people originally inhabited the main Japanese island of Honshu before being gradually pushed northward. Traditionally hunters, gatherers, and fishers, the Ainu developed a distinct and self-sufficient culture. By the late 19th century, assimilation efforts by the Meiji government threatened their way of life. Today, only a small number of Ainu remain on the Japanese island of Hokkaido, the Kuril Islands, and Sakhalin. After a long history of marginalization, their language, religion, and cultural practices were officially recognized by the Japanese government in 2008. Historical visual records of Ainu culture are scarce, making this group of photographs particularly valuable. Especially noteworthy are the images of small village scenes and group portraits showing traditional garments and hairstyles. – Some buckling of mounts, some scuff marks, light fading, as well as a tear on one print, otherwise all in good to very good condition.

Lit.: Luke Gartlan. A Career of Japan: Baron Raimund von Stillfried and Early Yokohama Photography. Leiden; Boston: Brill, 2016, ill. p. 138 (variant).