mustaschlyftare, iku pashui, iku pasuy

Mustaschlyftare av trä, ornamenterad på ovansidan. Mustaschlyftaren används när männen dricker saké, för att skydda skägg och mustasch. Det finns också en ceremoniell/rituell sort som har en mer skulptural utformning. Enligt katalogen fårn orten "Jkohashi", vilket torde vara en felskrivning av ikohashi, som dock inte har hittats i någon atlas.

Beteckningen är olika vad gäller stavning - iku pasuy eller iku pashui, beroende på vilken författare man vänder sig till. Det finns ett flertal andra mustaschlyftare i de andra ainu-samlingarna. (PH)

1910 inköptes en samling om mer än 500 föremål från den Etnografiska handelsfirman Umlauff i Hamburg. Samlingen rymmer föremål från Östasien, Sydostasien, Östafrika och Centralamerika. Av dessa är 74 stycken från ainu, ursprungsfolket på ön Hokkaido i norra Japan och på den ryska ön Sachalin.
Detta är en ikupasuy, I äldre litteratur ofta kallad "mustaschlyftare". Det är ett av de viktigaste föremålen hos ainu. Översättningen av ikupasuy till mustaschlyftare förekom I västerländska språk redan på slutet av 1500-talet. Uppfattningen att föremålet enbart var ett praktiskt redskap att hålla undan mustaschen med när ainu-männen rituellt drack alkohol är dock missvisande men levde kvar länge. De ornamenterade trästavarna rymmer istället en hel föreställningsvärd och berättar om religionen hos ainu.
Att tala direkt till gudarna är otänkbart och därför spelar ikupasuy en förmedlande roll. Den är en budbärare som sänder bönerna till gudarna. Alkoholhaltiga drycker (förr hirsöl, senare japansk sake) är centrala i flera riter. Stavens spetsiga del doppas i i alkoholen, som hälls upp i dyrbara lackerade träskålar på ställ köpta från japanska konsthantverkare och använda på detta sätt sedan 1600-talet. I ainu-religionen finns flera av de viktigaste gudarna i hemmet, som eldgudinnan i härden. Staven riktas mot det tillbedda, som bestänks lätt, eller dropparna sänds mot gudarna. När männen rituellt intar alkohol i samband med ceremonin kan den användas just till att skydda mustaschen, men det är alltså av helt underordnad betydelse,
En ainu-man tillverkade själv sin ikupasuy. Mönstren uppvisar en stor variationsrikedom. Det kan vara stiliserade blom- eller djurmönster, geometriska motiv eller mer realistiska och gränsande till figuriner på ovansidan och dessutom tecken som visar vem som äger föremålet. Själva formen är oftast sig lik med en spetsig ände som kallad "tungan" - den är ju till hjälp vid samspråk med gudarna. PÅ en ikupasuys ovan- och undersida finns ett tiotal olika komponenter som alla har sin egen benämning.
Ikupasuy utgör sannolikt det vanligaste ainu-föremålet man kan finna i en etnografisk samling, även om just denna samling innehåller endast ytterligare ett sådant föremål. Deras skönhet och individuella utförande, liksom det stora antal de tillverkats i föranleder sannolikt att de är så vanliga

In 1910 a collection of more than 500 objects was bought from the trading firm Umlauf in Hamburg. The collection contains objects from East Asia, Southeast Asia, East Africa and Central America. Out of these, 74 are from the Ainu, the indigenous population on the island of Hokkaido in northern Japan and on the Russian island of Sakhalin.
This object is an ikupasuy, in older literature often called "moustache lifter". It is one of the most important objects of the Ainu. The translation of ikupasuy as "moustache lifter" existed in European languages already at the end of the sixteenth century. The notion that the object only was a practical tool to keep the moustache away when the Ainu men drank alcohol is a misconception that survived for a long time. The ornamented tree staffs incorporate, instead, a whole world of ideas and tell about the Ainu's religion.
To talk directly to the gods is unthinkable, and thus the ikupasuy acts as an intermediary. It is a messenger that sends the prayers to the gods. Alcoholic beverages (earlier millet beer, later Japanese sake) are central in several rites. The pointed tip of the staff is dipped into the alcohol, which is poured into expensive lacquered tree bowls on racks, which have been bought from Japanese artisans and used in this way since the seventeenth century. In the Ainu religion several of the most important gods are present in the home, like the fire-goddess in the hearth. The staff is levelled at the worshipped object which is lightly sprinkled or the drops are sent towards the gods. When the men are ritually imbibing alcohol in connection with the ceremony the staff can be used precisely to protect the moustache, but that is of minor importance.
An Ainu man made his own ikupasuy. The patterns exhibit great variation. It may be stylised flower- or animal designs, geometrical motives or more realistic ones and bordering on figurines on the upper side as well as signs, which show the owner of the object. The form itself is usually similar with a pointed tip called "the tongue" - after all, it helps in talks with the gods. On the upper- and under-side of an ikupasuy there are about ten different components all with their own designation.
Libation spoons, ikupasuy, are very likely the most common Ainu object found in any ethnographic collection, though there is only one more in this particular collection. Their beautiful and individual design, surely account for this, together with the fact that ainu-men evidently produced them in great numbers

Function: In 1910 a collection of more than 500 objects was bought from the trading firm Umlauf in Hamburg. The collection contains objects from East Asia, Southeast Asia, East Africa and Central America. Out of these, 74 are from the Ainu, the indigenous population on the island of Hokkaido in northern Japan and on the Russian island of Sakhalin. This object is an ikupasuy. In older literature it was often called “mousrtache lifter”. It is one of the most important objects of the Ainu. The translation of ikupasuy as “mousetache lifter” existed in European languages already at the end of the sixteenth century. The notion that the object was only a practical tool to keep the mousetache protected when the Ainu men drank alcohol is a misconception that survived for a long time. The ornamented tree staffs incorporate, instead, a whole world of ideas and tell about the Ainu’s religion. To talk directly to the gods is unthinkable, and thus the ikupasuy acts as an intermediary. It is a messenger that sends the prayers to the gods. The staff is levelled at the worshipped object which is lightly sprinkled or the drops are sent towards the gods.
Acquisition Ethnographic Museums, at the turn of the last century, very often augmented their collections from places and people which were badly represented or not represented in their museums by turning to one of several firms dealing with ethnographic objects. The most important ones were found in London and Hamburg. The most well sorted one in Hamburg was Umlauff, which supplied the Ethnographic Museum the collection which contained this object. This collection was bought by the Museum of Ethnography in 1910.
Why this is a masterpiece
This ikupasuy is presented more as an example of a category of objects that could be characterised as “masterpieces”. They are rich in symbolic content, exhibit great artistic skill, and reveal individual creativity.
History of the Object
Originally acquired in Japan (Hokkaido) by a collector working for or selling to Umlauff in Hamburg. In 1910 bought by Museum of Ethnography from Umlauff. The very earliest history not known. (Virtual Collection of Masterpieces, http://masterpieces.asemus.museum/Default.aspx)