The latest addition (J11) to the Japan Gallery is not a straw sandal but rather a wooden mold for making straw slippers.  At least, that is how this mold was used originally in the late 1800s as a household tool.  Now it hangs on the wall of my study, having arrived with a hand rubbed coating, possibly oil and varnish, and a leather tie for attaching the mold to a wall hanger.  It is now a Mingei folk art object.  Mingei, literally folk art, refers to a movement founded by Yanagi Soetsu in the 1920s.  There are two museums that include Mingei art, the Japanese Folk Crafts Museum and the Mingei International Museum, located in Tokyo and San Diego CA, respectively.  Intially I thought that it would be relatively simple to describe  this piece, but then I discovered that there is a Mingei Theory or philosophy that became entwined in Japanese imperialism and colonialism.  There are numerous interpretations both historical and political about the movement that go far beyond the simple crafting of straw slippers.  These will take a while to research and sort out.   Meanwhile, as wall art the mold, although wonderful on its own, now provides a perfect shelf for another recent addition to the collection.  See the news story  “The Kokeshi Travelers”.