DepartmentAsia

Ushioni (Cow Demon) toy

NameToy

Maker Yoshiwo UTSUNOMIYA II

CultureJapanese

Date2018

Place madeUwajima, Ehime Prefecture, JAPAN, East Asia, Asia

MediumWashi paper, paint, lacquer, wood, cotton fabric

Dimensions3 3/4 × 4 1/2 × 2 7/16 in. (9.6 × 11.5 × 6.2 cm)

Credit LineMuseum of International Folk Art, gift of the artist, Yoshiwo UTSUNOMIYA II, A.2019.5.1

Terms

value (economic concept)

Object numberA.2019.5.1

ProvenanceGiven by the artist as a gift to the Museum of International Folk Art through the curator during a field interview. Hand-carried to the US by curator Felicia Katz-Harris. This toy was donated by the artist upon the discovery that MOIFA has two similar toys that were made by the artist’s father (A.1981.4.189; A.1983.1.393). His father was the originator of the toy design and the style of the teeth was what made the toys in the extant collection recognizable to the artist as his father’s piece.

DescriptionThis Ushioni toy is painted in red, green, white, black and gold paint, silver lined paper, a cardstock tail, small wooden dowels for the horns and head movement mechanism, and coated in a clear lacquer. The head of the piece has a green ground, with red mouth, black and white horns, with other white and gold accents on the face.