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Ainu. <em>Prayer Stick</em>, late 19th–early 20th century. Wood, 2 5/16 x 1 3/16 x 15 5/8 in. (5.9 x 3 x 39.7 cm). Brooklyn Museum, Gift of Herman Stutzer, 12.282. Creative Commons-BY (Photo: , 12.299_12.315_12.298_12.282_PS4.jpg)
Ainu. Prayer Stick, late 19th–early 20th century. Wood, 2 5/16 x 1 3/16 x 15 5/8 in. (5.9 x 3 x 39.7 cm). Brooklyn Museum, Gift of Herman Stutzer, 12.282. Creative Commons-BY (Photo: , 12.299_12.315_12.298_12.282_PS4.jpg)
Ainu. <em>Prayer Stick</em>, late 19th–early 20th century. Wood, 2 5/16 x 1 3/16 x 15 5/8 in. (5.9 x 3 x 39.7 cm). Brooklyn Museum, Gift of Herman Stutzer, 12.282. Creative Commons-BY (Photo: , 12.299_12.315_12.298_12.282_PS4.jpg)

Ainu. Prayer Stick, late 19th–early 20th century. Wood, 2 5/16 x 1 3/16 x 15 5/8 in. (5.9 x 3 x 39.7 cm). Brooklyn Museum, Gift of Herman Stutzer, 12.282. Creative Commons-BY (Photo: , 12.299_12.315_12.298_12.282_PS4.jpg)

Ainu. <em>Prayer Stick</em>, late 19th–early 20th century. Wood, 2 5/16 x 1 3/16 x 15 5/8 in. (5.9 x 3 x 39.7 cm). Brooklyn Museum, Gift of Herman Stutzer, 12.282. Creative Commons-BY (Photo: , 12.299_12.315_12.298_12.282_12.326_12.317_12.230_12.325_PS4.jpg)

Ainu. Prayer Stick, late 19th–early 20th century. Wood, 2 5/16 x 1 3/16 x 15 5/8 in. (5.9 x 3 x 39.7 cm). Brooklyn Museum, Gift of Herman Stutzer, 12.282. Creative Commons-BY (Photo: , 12.299_12.315_12.298_12.282_12.326_12.317_12.230_12.325_PS4.jpg)

Ainu. <em>Prayer Stick</em>, late 19th–early 20th century. Wood, 2 5/16 x 1 3/16 x 15 5/8 in. (5.9 x 3 x 39.7 cm). Brooklyn Museum, Gift of Herman Stutzer, 12.282. Creative Commons-BY (Photo: North American Ainu Documentation Project, Yoshiburo Kotani, 1990-92, 12.282_Ainu_project.jpg)

Ainu. Prayer Stick, late 19th–early 20th century. Wood, 2 5/16 x 1 3/16 x 15 5/8 in. (5.9 x 3 x 39.7 cm). Brooklyn Museum, Gift of Herman Stutzer, 12.282. Creative Commons-BY (Photo: North American Ainu Documentation Project, Yoshiburo Kotani, 1990-92, 12.282_Ainu_project.jpg)

Ainu. <em>Prayer Stick</em>, late 19th–early 20th century. Wood, 2 5/16 x 1 3/16 x 15 5/8 in. (5.9 x 3 x 39.7 cm). Brooklyn Museum, Gift of Herman Stutzer, 12.282. Creative Commons-BY (Photo: Brooklyn Museum, CUR.12.282_side.jpg)

Ainu. Prayer Stick, late 19th–early 20th century. Wood, 2 5/16 x 1 3/16 x 15 5/8 in. (5.9 x 3 x 39.7 cm). Brooklyn Museum, Gift of Herman Stutzer, 12.282. Creative Commons-BY (Photo: Brooklyn Museum, CUR.12.282_side.jpg)

Ainu. <em>Prayer Stick</em>, late 19th–early 20th century. Wood, 2 5/16 x 1 3/16 x 15 5/8 in. (5.9 x 3 x 39.7 cm). Brooklyn Museum, Gift of Herman Stutzer, 12.282. Creative Commons-BY (Photo: Brooklyn Museum, CUR.12.282_top.jpg)

Ainu. Prayer Stick, late 19th–early 20th century. Wood, 2 5/16 x 1 3/16 x 15 5/8 in. (5.9 x 3 x 39.7 cm). Brooklyn Museum, Gift of Herman Stutzer, 12.282. Creative Commons-BY (Photo: Brooklyn Museum, CUR.12.282_top.jpg)

Ainu. <em>Prayer Stick</em>, late 19th–early 20th century. Wood, 2 5/16 x 1 3/16 x 15 5/8 in. (5.9 x 3 x 39.7 cm). Brooklyn Museum, Gift of Herman Stutzer, 12.282. Creative Commons-BY (Photo: Brooklyn Museum, CUR.12.282_bottom.jpg)

Ainu. Prayer Stick, late 19th–early 20th century. Wood, 2 5/16 x 1 3/16 x 15 5/8 in. (5.9 x 3 x 39.7 cm). Brooklyn Museum, Gift of Herman Stutzer, 12.282. Creative Commons-BY (Photo: Brooklyn Museum, CUR.12.282_bottom.jpg)

Ainu. <em>Prayer Stick</em>, late 19th–early 20th century. Wood, 2 5/16 x 1 3/16 x 15 5/8 in. (5.9 x 3 x 39.7 cm). Brooklyn Museum, Gift of Herman Stutzer, 12.282. Creative Commons-BY (Photo: , 12.230_12.282_12.307_12.315_12.317_12.324_bw.jpg)

Ainu. Prayer Stick, late 19th–early 20th century. Wood, 2 5/16 x 1 3/16 x 15 5/8 in. (5.9 x 3 x 39.7 cm). Brooklyn Museum, Gift of Herman Stutzer, 12.282. Creative Commons-BY (Photo: , 12.230_12.282_12.307_12.315_12.317_12.324_bw.jpg)

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Prayer Stick

Asian Art

On View: Asian Galleries, Arts of Japan, 2nd floor
Most Ainu religious rituals focus on the transfer of prayers and offerings from the human world to the spirit world. Carved prayer sticks, called ikupasuy, serve as translators and messengers between the worlds. They are held during prayers in most Ainu ceremonies; in rituals that involve rice wine, the stick is dipped in the wine so that droplets can be dedicated to the spirits. One of the prayer sticks shown here has a miniature wine cup carved on top. Ikupasuy are the only Ainu art form to include representations of animals, as seen in the fish and bear’s head on another example shown here.
This text refers to these objects: 12.282; 12.229; 12.302; 12.326
CULTURE Ainu
MEDIUM Wood
  • Place Made: Northern region, Japan
    • DATES late 19th–early 20th century
    PERIOD Late Edo Period to Meiji Period
    DIMENSIONS 2 5/16 x 1 3/16 x 15 5/8 in. (5.9 x 3 x 39.7 cm)  (show scale)
    COLLECTIONS Asian Art
    ACCESSION NUMBER 12.282
    CREDIT LINE Gift of Herman Stutzer
    EXHIBITIONS
    MUSEUM LOCATION This item is on view in Asian Galleries, Arts of Japan, 2nd floor
    CAPTION Ainu. Prayer Stick, late 19th–early 20th century. Wood, 2 5/16 x 1 3/16 x 15 5/8 in. (5.9 x 3 x 39.7 cm). Brooklyn Museum, Gift of Herman Stutzer, 12.282. Creative Commons-BY (Photo: , 12.299_12.315_12.298_12.282_PS4.jpg)
    IMAGE 12.299_12.315_12.298_12.282_PS4.jpg.
    "CUR" at the beginning of an image file name means that the image was created by a curatorial staff member. These study images may be digital point-and-shoot photographs, when we don\'t yet have high-quality studio photography, or they may be scans of older negatives, slides, or photographic prints, providing historical documentation of the object.
    RIGHTS STATEMENT Creative Commons-BY
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    Ainu. <em>Prayer Stick</em>, late 19th–early 20th century. Wood, 2 5/16 x 1 3/16 x 15 5/8 in. (5.9 x 3 x 39.7 cm). Brooklyn Museum, Gift of Herman Stutzer, 12.282. Creative Commons-BY (Photo: , 12.299_12.315_12.298_12.282_PS4.jpg)

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