Sintoko (Lacquerware Storage Container)
In a traditional Ainu home, the sacred window is on the far side of the dwelling, opposite the entrance. Next to it is the iyoykir, a shelf used to display the home’s most precious objects. Among these are lacquerware containers called sintoko. These containers are used to store valuable tableware, but on important occasions they may be used to carry food. The lids of the sintoko are also used in rituals and songs. During the songs, women sit in a circle while rhythmically tapping the sintoko lids like a drum. Historically this lacquerware would have come from Honshu, Japan’s largest island and part of the Ainu’s extensive trade network.