November 2003
d'Elaine Johnson
Prayer Sticks 26”x 43” 2002 Acrylic
The Ainu of Japan practiced fundamental aspects of animistic beliefs with prayer.
Ainu men carved prayer sticks known as ikupasuy, which were used when offering prayers to the gods after a successful hunt or fish. They believed that the more beautiful and powerful the carving, the stronger the defense against the evil gods. For this reason, men worked hard to continuously improve their carving ability, creating ever more beautiful designs using only their makiri, a man's basic utility knife.
