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Kokeshi Japanese Wooden Doll - Naruko Style Ningyo
Description
Lovely Japanese wooden kokeshi doll. This
pretty doll is less than 40 years old and is in fair condition with marks and
scratches from handling and discoloration and stains from age and display. This is a "naruko"
style kokeshi with a special neck joint which allows the doll to squeak
when the head is turned. This clever design was developed long ago by
craftsmen seeking a way to cause the dolls cry like a baby. Please read below to learn about the
history of kokeshi dolls, one of Japan's most unique and
distinctive folk crafts.
Important note: Images of the kokeshi we list are often uploaded to our Japan
Vintage Kokeshi Blog which is an on-line gallery of unique and
interesting kokeshi dolls. The purpose of this blog is strictly to
share images of some of the wonderful dolls we encounter in the course of our
work, and to provide a digital archive to preserve these images into the future.
If you purchase a kokeshi from us and do not want a digital copy of your
doll displayed in the photo blog or archive then please simply send us an email
indicating your preference and we will promptly remove the image.
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More about Kokeshi
Kokeshi wooden dolls are one of the most unique and interesting of
Japan's many traditional folk crafts. Originating in the early 19th
century in the northern spa towns of Miyagi prefecture, kokeshi
are thought to have first been produced as toys for children from leftover bits
of scrap wood. These early dolls were made by craftsmen who earned their
living producing other types of woodcraft, but who eventually began to create
kokeshi to be sold as souvenirs in the area's many local hot spring
resorts. Over time the craft was refined, with many regional varieties
appearing reflecting a wide range of technical and artistic variation.
Today there are several schools of kokeshi design led by master craftsmen
who often pass their trade to succeeding generations within their own family.
When collecting kokeshi it is important to note that you will likely
encounter two main types; dolls which are made by artists and those which are
mass-produced to be sold as souvenirs. The former are usually
one-of-a-kind originals created by dedicated artisans who take their work very seriously and
place great emphasis on traditional design and appearance. The other type of kokeshi
are those which are manufactured specifically to be sold as souvenirs of famous
or interesting places such as resorts or hot springs. These are produced
en-mass, and while often attractive and interesting memorabilia they are not as
frequently sought after by collectors and usually command a lower selling price. How can you
determine if a kokeshi is an 'artist' or 'craftsman' style doll?
This is actually quite easy as artist dolls are normally signed (on the
bottom) by the maker, and may have no other writing on the body of the doll
besides decorative calligraphy.
Souvenir types on the other hand are normally unsigned and may have the name of the place which sold them
conspicuously visible on the body of the doll. Collectors of Kokeshi
typically place special emphasis on the facial quality of the dolls, desiring
certain types - gentle or mischievous for example - over others. One
interesting Japanese Kokeshi collector
we previously met
expressed a preference for newer dolls over older ones, fearing the older dolls may be
haunted.
We really want you to be happy with your purchase! For this reason all
items include a 100% money back guarantee. If you are unsatisfied for any
reason, you may return your purchase immediately for a full refund. Your purchase
and all shipping costs will then be refunded to you after the item has been returned
to our office in Japan. Please see our Contact page if you need to reach us for any reason.
Please see our Shipping page for full details regarding shipping rates, available shipping methods and combined shipping discounts. All shipments are via Japan Post standard airmail or Express Mail Service (EMS) airmail. EMS airmail includes a tracking number and is typically faster than standard airmail. Please note that we do not use less secure shipping methods such as surface or SAL delivery due to the higher incidence of loss, damage and significant delay which we have previously encountered using these methods. Your understanding and consideration prior to bidding is greatly appreciated. We ship anywhere and happily combine orders to help you save money. We
carefully weigh and measure each item prior to listing in order to determine
that item's actual shipping cost. This allows us to then include a shipping quote
within each listing which is sufficient to cover postage and handling costs to
any address worldwide. Purchases are carefully packed and
shipped within 72 hours of receipt of payment though holidays and weekends may cause additional delay. Standard airmail delivery to addresses in
North America and Europe average one to three weeks with more or less time
sometimes required for other areas of the world. International buyers should be aware of the laws of
their own country and be prepared to deal with any and all customs-related fees
and charges. Taxes, duties, VAT and any other levies accessed are the
responsibility of the buyer. We self insure the full purchase value of
each order.
Shopping with us is easy. Buy one item or shop for several days. There is never any hurry and we are happy to hold purchases while you continue shopping. Within 24 hours of the close of each transaction you will be sent an invoice including instructions to help you complete your purchase. When you pay for your purchase we will begin the shipment process. Please do not make payments for any individual items you wish us to combine as we are unable to combine items once payment has been received. When you are all done shopping please just send us an email to let us know and we will combine your unpaid purchases into a single order and send you an invoice with combined shipping. PayPal and ProPay are our preferred methods of payment.
Please note that we frequently use photographic models with our listings. This means that when we create a new listing we will randomly select from
inventory a sample of the item for the purpose of photography. The item
you receive therefore may differ slightly from the sample shown in the listing
photos. Your satisfaction guarantee however is always in force and we will
promptly refund or replace the item if you are not pleased with your purchase. Please contact us to ask if a model was used with any listing you may be interested in.
Our family business is located in one of the most beautiful and historic
areas of Japan (Shizuoka) and we take great pleasure in sharing videos, stories, facts
and images from this exciting and interesting culture. Please consider
visiting our
About Japan page where you can read our exclusive articles about Japan,
Japanese culture and even our recommended travel itinerary for those considering
a visit to the land of the rising sun.
*The estimated delivery time is based on the seller's handling time, the shipping service selected, and when the seller receives cleared payment. Sellers are not responsible for shipping service transit times. Transit times may vary, particularly during peak periods.
We really want you to be happy with your purchase! For this reason all items include a 100% money back guarantee. If you are unsatisfied for any reason, you may return your purchase immediately for a full refund. Your purchase and all shipping costs will then be refunded to you after the item has been returned to our office in Japan.
The buyer is responsible for return shipping costs.
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