Karoppu and Ketus (Storage Containers)
Traditional storage containers in Ainu villages range from lacquerware boxes, displayed as treasures and used in important ceremonies, to everyday bags and baskets made from wood, fabric, or reeds. The cloth karoppu is used to hold fire-making tools such as flints. As the god of fire is one of the central gods in Ainu belief, the karoppu is decorated with protective patterns. The ketus is a general-purpose storage basket, carried over the shoulder or hung by a strap from the forehead.