Wrapped Duck Decoy

An unusual carved duck wrapped in kakabushi paper, with Japanese kanji visible across its surface. Duck motifs were far more common in Korean folk craft than Japanese, where paired ducks that symbolized fidelity and marital happiness were traditionally given as wedding gifts. The underlying form may well be Korean in origin, the wrapping perhaps applied to refine its silhouette, softening the cruder angles seen in Korean folk examples into a more naturalistic shape.