PROBLEMATIC

Description: 1. BODY. 2 PIECES. ABOVE DIMENSIONS. PAINTED GREEN. BASE HAS 4 HOLES FOR ATTACHING TO A SURFACE. ON TWO SIDES ARE AN EMBOSSED GOLD LOGO. THERE IS A FLY WHEEL AT BACK OF MACHINE. FRONT OF MACHINE HAS A CYLINDRICAL COMPARTMENT WHICH CONTAINS A MECHANISM WHICH PUSHES SUBSTANCES FORWARD AND THROUGH ROUND CHROME TIP THAT SCREWS TO FRONT OF CYLINDER. MOUNTED ON TOP OF CYLINDER IS A LARGE SQUARE OPENING WITH SCREWS AND WING NUTS ON 3 SIDES (1 SIDE IS MISSING HARDWARE), FOR FUNNEL TO ATTACH TO. CYLINDER HAS WING NUTS AT THE BACK, WHICH ALLOW IT TO BE ADJUSTED. CHROME TIP ALSO HAS SCREWS FOR TIGHTENING. 2. FUNNEL. 17.2(H) X 34.5(D). PAINTED GOLD. NARROW END OF FUNNEL HAS 4 OVAL HOLES IN IT. PAINTED ON ONE SIDE OF FUNNEL IS A SPRAY OF GREEN AND YELLOW FOLIAGE WITH A RED BOW AT THE BOTTOM. ABOVE BOW ARE 3 RED, 2 GREEN AND 2 WHITE JAPANESE CHARACTERS. PAINTED ON OPPOSITE SIDE OF FUNNEL IS ANOTHER SPRAY OF GREEN AND YELLOW FOLIAGE, BUT IN A CIRCULAR SHAPE. AT BOTTOM OF SPRAY IS A WHITE RECTANGLE. BELOW THIS ARE 4 RED JAPANESE CHARACTERS. IN CENTER OF SPRAY IS ONE LARGE RED CHARACTER (SOME OF IT HIDDEN BY FOLIAGE), AND AT TOP OF SPRAY ARE 3 WHITE LINES. THERE IS SOME SCRATCHING OF FINISH ON INTERIOR OF FUNNEL AND AROUND NARROW END, AS WELL AS MINOR CORROSION.

History: USED IN MAKING JAPANESE STICKY RICE CAKES, OR MOCHI. IN MAY 1948 THE ALBERTA CHAPTER OF THE JAPANESE CANADIAN CHRISTIAN ASSOCIATION WAS FORMED. FROM 1991 TO 1998 HANAE IWAASA-ROBBS WAS PRESIDENT OF THE JCCA IN LETHBRIDGE. ARTIFACTS WERE ENTRUSTED TO HER BY THE LOCAL JAPANESE COMMUNITY AND SHE COLLECTED THEM IN AN OFFICE ON THE NORTH SIDE OF LETHBRIDGE. *UPDATE* IN 2018, COLLECTIONS ASSISTANT ELISE PUNDYK CONDUCTED AN ARTIFACT SURVEY, WHICH INCLUDED A SERVING DISH AND A JEWELRY BOX DONATED BY THE NIKKEI CULTURAL SOCIETY. AS PART OF THE RESEARCH PROCESS, PUNDYK CONTACTED THE FORMER OPERATOR OF THE JAPANESE CULTURAL ASSOCIATION, HANAE IWASSA. IT WAS DETERMINED THAT INFORMATION ABOUT THE PERSONAL MEMORY OF THE ARTIFACTS BY THE LOCAL JAPANESE COMMUNITY PRIOR TO THE ITEMS BEING DONATED TO THE JAPANESE CULTURAL ASSOCIATION IS UNKNOWN.