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Traditional Kokeshi

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Soulportal's loves5 of 89Kokeshi souvenir doll - Memory of Ikaho Hot Springs.Found me a couple more Kokeshi dolls
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    Posted 8 years ago

    racer4four
    (586 items)

    Like many Kokeshi the face of this one manages to be very expressive with very little paint. That almost benevolent friendliness is very touching.
    It's a fave at the moment.

    He is quite big at 25cm and the body has been left as unfinished bark. I believe the wood is cherry.

    I haven't found the maker but believe this is oldish, possibly 50s/60s.

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    Comments

    1. NevadaBlades, 8 years ago
      I've never yet actually seen a Kokeshi with unfinished wood! Like this one!

      My wife is unable to read the Kanji, the artist's signature. Imagine a horribly scrawled or scribbled Occidental signature ~ she says the Kanji looks like that! [;>)
    2. fleafinder fleafinder, 8 years ago
      hi nevadablades i see the word fo-"buddha" zhou- "works".But like what your wife says its haed to ascertain as its quite scribbly!
    3. TassieDevil TassieDevil, 8 years ago
      This is pretty cute Karen...I like it a lot!!!
    4. racer4four racer4four, 8 years ago
      Thanks KJ for asking her to try and read it. Thanks for the love too!

      Fleafinder thanks - at least that gives me a bit to go on.

      Thanks Judy! Kokeshi are not for everyone; glad you like it.
    5. vintagelamp vintagelamp, 8 years ago
      Love, love, love. I am really getting into Asian items lately.
    6. PhilDMorris PhilDMorris, 8 years ago
      So cute.
    7. martika martika, 8 years ago
      Very sweet. I noticed you love and collect japanese dolls and glass. May I ask do you just simply love it or there is another reason for the love? Like ancestors etc...
    8. Rick55 Rick55, 8 years ago
      This is so cool Karen! I've never seen a real one... A Japanese student we hosted many years ago, brought us a souvenir one which we have to this day. Don't know where it is, but we have it LOL.
    9. racer4four racer4four, 8 years ago
      VL once the Asian bug catches it never lets go! I rally love their sense of fun!

      Thanks Phil - the Japanese have had the concept of cute for cute's sake, Kawaii, for centuries!

    10. racer4four racer4four, 8 years ago
      Martika I just love it and have no Japanese heredity at all. It started with the Japanese glass and the edges have got fuzzy and crept into other Japanese arts. I am trying to keep myself controlled with my collecting (laugh here!). Thanks.

      Rick in Japan they are considered tourist items and only a few of the makers (mainly now deceased) are considered really collectible. In the West there is a passionate and knowledgeable group of collectors - I'm not one of them. I just pick them up whenI see them and like them and really have little idea about who's who and what's what. I just like things that make me smile.
      I'm sure if you ever found yours it would have a feel good element too!
    11. Bettyb00 Bettyb00, 8 years ago
      Love this! I wish I had one.
    12. shareurpassion shareurpassion, 8 years ago
      I love this one Karen! The "knot" is in the right place! hahaha Too cute!
    13. shareurpassion shareurpassion, 8 years ago
      I know, leave it to me right?!? That has to be why the artist left it a la naturale!
    14. shareurpassion shareurpassion, 8 years ago
      I've been wondering if, noooo...I know you've thought the same thing about the know here!
    15. shareurpassion shareurpassion, 8 years ago
      I am positive you have a One-of-a-kind here and probably the only one left "raw" for the very reason I see... ;)
    16. shareurpassion shareurpassion, 8 years ago
      Karen, I'm sorry but I'm on a roll...I can hear this little guy singing I'm too sexy for my shirt! I'm so sex---y!!!!
    17. racer4four racer4four, 8 years ago
      Lmao Sue......you are so good for my mood!
      I never even looked at him like that and now I can't stop seeing it. He's even got the slight hollowed belly and lean back to get the pelvis forward. I'm just cracking up here my family thinks I'm nuts!!!!!
    18. TassieDevil TassieDevil, 8 years ago
      Hahahaha....you will have us all looking at him like that now!!!!!!LOL
    19. shareurpassion shareurpassion, 8 years ago
      Hahahaha I'm so glad you see things the way I do!!! I just couldn't help it! And swaying hips even! WooHoo! ;)
    20. rhineisfine rhineisfine, 4 years ago
      Yes, this kokeshi has a body made of kabazaiku (cherry bark). Unfinished in that the bark wasn't scraped off the wood, but still I think slightly polished or processed so that it gleams.

      Akita prefecture is famous for its kabazaiku products, and I came across a blog written in Japanese that includes a photo of some kokeshi with kabazaiku bodies that the author found in Kakunodate, in Akita prefecture. Here's the photo. (The blog author comments that he found them "strange" and a little bit scary, I guess because he is unused to that style.)

      https://blog-imgs-18-origin.fc2.com/n/a/k/nakedpou/P1020137.jpg

      Anyway, just possibly yours is from there :)

    21. racer4four racer4four, 4 years ago
      RhineisFine your comments are always so interesting and informative. I thank you.

      Thanks for the info on Kakunodate and their use there of kabazaiku. I have been on a journey looking into these crafts, just so good!
      I did see a similar kokeshi recently in a post on FB and thought I bookmarked it but can't find it now. Never mind, this kokeshi still delights even if the maker is still unknown to me.

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