Posted 2 years ago
rhineisfine
(17 items)
I found this tiny (2.75") kokeshi doll at a local consignment store. Its sweet face and charm appealed to me -- as did its small size, since I live in an apartment that gets cluttered easily.
The mystery is: where in Japan is this from? And who made it? I know there are many different types of kokeshi, but I've searched and searched, and have not found one quite like this. The head and body are all one pieces; the head isn't glued or inserted on to the bulbous body. It reminds me of the hobbits-in-barrels scene from The Hobbit: The Desolation of Smaug :D
I'm wondering whether the flower on the front is meant to be a camellia, a peony, or something else. The little red bow over each ear is really cute and distinctive. See also the photograph of the base, with its six (?) kanji characters.
Unfortunately I don't have access to reference books on kokeshi (and can't read kanji), so if anyone has any tips, I'd be most grateful!
Edited to add: I may have found something!. I discovered an online article called "Ejiko | Izume.Ko | Nemariko":
https://www.mingeiarts.com/collections/ejiko-izume-ko-nemariko
Ejiko is a folk toy of a baby in a basket. These toys can be made of soft materials, or harder ones, such as wooden kokeshi. The photos include a barrel-shaped small kokeshi, similar to mine, with the caption "Nurugo-Kei". Now I just need to find what that means... and if it's a typo for Narugo or Naruko (the latter being the name of an onsen town known for its kokeshi).
Very cute indeed!! Nice find!
Hello, it’s definitely an ejiko kokeshi, representing a baby in a basket, as farmworkers would have kept their babies in olden times while they were working the fields.
I’m not sure which strain/kokeshi type/onsen area it has come from, or whether the flower is a peony or camellia (I suspect the latter) but the detailing at the shoulders reminds me of the patterns on my Tsugaru (sometimes called Nuruyu) kokeshi.
You can try to find the matching signature on http://www.soulportals.com/kokeshi/Album%20Signatures/
OR if you are interested in kokeshi, you could join the Kokeshi Village Facebook group, as there are lots of very experienced kokeshi collectors there, including people who can read Japanese.
PS. The signatures read downwards, so you’ll need to rotate your picture 90 degrees clockwise…
Actually that was much easier than I thought - I found a match for you - Abo Muchihide http://www.soulportals.com/kokeshi/Album%20Signatures/Tsugaru%20Owani%20Traditional/index.html#Abo%2520Muchihide_S%2520%2528Tsugaru%2529.jpg
and the photo of the signature does appear to be the right way up!
…and here’s a page with more of this artist’s works…
http://www.soulportals.com/kokeshi/Album%20Traditional/TSUGARU/Abo%20Muchihide/index.html
@japanfanbev, that is fabulous! Thank you! I'm deeply touched that you generously looked into this for me, and then found out and shared so much. Identifying the type of kokeshi AND the actual artist? I had not really expected to learn these details.
You know, I really love knowing the name of the artist and where they're from. These handmade pieces always seem to carry some of that person's energy, and it's a shame when we can't say whose creation it was. I am so SO pleased to put a name to this artist, thanks to your interest.
I look forward to reading through those links you provided, and also to checking out the Facebook group on kokeshi.
Thank you for everything!!
I missed this one, she really is a gem. She does have a very sweet face and I know that is hard to capture sometimes, but it all comes through here. Great find !~
@PhilDMorris, thank you for your kind comments. I don't collect kokeshi at all, and never thought of the subject as especially interesting, but that endearing face captivated me. It's amazing how much impact a few tiny brushstrokes can have on one's emotional response, isn't it? Thank you so much!