Vintage Japanese Hand Carved Wooden Kashigata Cake Mold Koi Fish 5"X11"

This is an vintage Japanese cake mold known as a Kashigata. It is made of wild cherry wood that has been allowed to cure for over 5 years before carving. Carved in the shape of a fish. When filled with a dough consisting of soy flour and sugar or mochi (pounded rice cake) it makes a lovely cake.

This kashigata measures 11 1/4" long by 5 1/4" wide by 1 1/4" deep (28.5 x 13.5 x 3 cm). Having been well used yet well loved for much of the past century, thiskashigata remains in very fine condition with a warm century deep patina. A very collectible yet still very functional culinary accent. On the back, written in Japanese Kanji characters are the name of the shop where these cakes were made address in Yatsushiro City on the southern island of Kyushu.