Japanese Traditional Kokeshi | Nakanosowa-Kei (Family)

Prefecture: Fukushima

Origin:

The Nakanosawa doll is a member of the Tsuchiyu family and one of the “youngest” of the twelve styles of Kokeshi. and recognized as a separate style in the mid-1920s, and so different from the rest of the Tsuchiyu family that it warrants its description and category. This distinctively painted traditional doll was created in Nakanosawa Onsen, in the town of Inawashiro, Fukushima Prefecture, by Iwamoto Zenkichi, one of the original founding members of the Tsuchiyu family. The facial expression shows humor that is representative of Iwamoto Kenichi, a street dancer (Sutorītodansā), in the 1920s, who performed a fast tempo foot dance called a "kappore fore”, Zenkichi-san then created a Kokeshi doll copied after a pillow that he used in this dance. The painted pillow had facial features as well as bold flower patterns. Additionally, Kenichi-san gave dancing lessons to local geisha girls, and his audience was soon so taken with his dance with the pillow that they asked for a doll to be made with these special features with the characteristically large popping eyes, and when the doll was originally made of papier maché.

Later, lathe-turned representations of dolls emerged as an expressive wooden and painted form. With Kenichi’s son, Yoshizou, and a group of craftsmen, the making of the Nakanosawa doll was alive and its popularity grew. While considered a sub-strain of the Tsuchiyu Kokeshi, these beguiling dolls have a special attraction to collectors because of their history. This specific type of Kokeshi is often described as male rather than female by Kokeshi enthusiasts, even though it was not specifically designed to be male. The doll later became known as "Tako bozu” (たこ坊主, bald boys), i.e., an octopus face with a shaven head, reminiscent of the hairstyle worn by monks.

Collector's note – characteristics / painting style:

The Nakanosowa doll was made like the rest of the traditional Kokeshi, with a large oval or rounded blocky head with reddish to pink blush on each cheek, on a thin, tapering body. The most characteristic element is the large, expressive, surprised-looking eyes (bikkuri-me). The dolls also have very different noses, with expressive Shishi-bata Lion’s nose and flared nostrils. Its mouth is fully open and accented in red. These dolls have bangs or side tufts and occasionally one long tuft of hair that has the purpose of being a perch for gods. This is based on what was known as the “Yorisiro” phenomenon, and it is a very important Shinto concept of “purity”, which was typical of practitioners of the Zen Buddhist faith. The body decoration of this strain typically consists of large open peonies inspired by the tattoos that the Geisha sported, or double cherry blossoms, incorporated with zig-zag (kaeshi rokuro) lines in multiple colors. The rarest form of this doll is an Ejiko-style called Izume.ko, Doll (“Isume baby”).