AINU HOUSES AND THEIR FURXISHING. 



501 



get which an Ainu man will resort to any expedient, or contain 

 ready money with which he might purchase the one thing essen- 

 tial to perfect happiness according to his light, he does not dare to 

 violate their sanctity. 



2S' Teef. 



s Door • 

 mat 



Qo 



WatdfTuis 



[ 



Wall/. 



aw 



/Shut/ 

 of beds 



30U 



I 



Wooden, hlat- 

 jormjw ith 'mat 



Wi'ndiliv 



sod 



zr 



Low 

 Shelf 

 •with. 

 Jahaiu 

 curiaa. 



Shelf 9f Curios, 





Window • 

 Pig. 2. — Flan op an Ainu House. 



Back of the eastern dais, along the wall under the sacred win- 

 dow, were hung some very pretty mats with a curious, semi- 

 geometrical pattern picked out in brown and red. These served 

 as a background for one or two sets of oj^en shelves, on which 

 were arranged a number of cups, plates, and other pieces of crock- 

 ery for every-day use. These were all of Japanese manufacture, 

 and had evidently been brought from the main island, for the 

 Ainu do not make potterj^ of any kind ; nor is there any authentic 

 record of their ever having done so, though they have a myth 

 that in ancient times they possessed the art, but that all specimens 

 were destroyed, and the written instructions for making ware 

 were stolen from them. It may be remarked, parenthetically, 

 that this is entirely discredited by those who know most about 

 Ainu ethnology. 



In. the northeastern corner of the house — which, next to the 

 eastern window, is held sacred — on shelves, some of them covered 



