Yatai Matsuri
Unknown Maker, likely Japanese artisan
Carved Hardwood
Inscribed in Japanese: 身山の空台, “Sky stand of the mountains”
This wooden figurine is a representation of a Japanese float used in the annual Furukawa festival, located in Takayama. It depicts a yatai with multiple platforms and decorations as well as wheels and a roof, similar to that of a traditional float. Constructed in a Japanese workshop, it was acquired by my father on a visit to Takayama in which he learned the nature of the Furukawa festival and its spiritual implications. The miniature currently resides in a cabinet along with various pieces of folk craft such as pottery and matryoshka dolls.