Vintage Japanese Sakunami Wooden Fukuguruma (Fortune Car) Toy | Rare Sakunami Family Kiji Omocha
Dimensions: 3-3/4”h x 5-1/2”w x 3-3/4”d
One saw this type of original Kokeshi-inspired vintage Japanese wooden toy made by a family member named Hiraga, Kenichi, a Sakunami carver who specializes in this subject matter. This family of creators hails from Sakunami Onsen in Miyagi Prefecture and is one of the older Kokeshi firms as they date to the early Meiji period (1896-1912). The kiji-shi (woodworkers), divided their time between farming and wood-craft when in the winter time the land was less productive.
This style of toy is made from recycled wood and painted in a veritable rainbow of colors from the usual red and black to green, yellow, and even blue and purple as seen in this toy, and all made to attract younger children in the 1950s. The sides of the toy incorporate Rokoru mono stripes running around both wheels of the cart. The figure's body shows a chrysanthemum (Kiku) blossom which dominates the body. Its head like all the Skunami Kokeshi has the typical double eyelids and cat-shaped nose with side hair fringes black hair and bangs. An abstracted chrysanthemum is also incorporated on top of the head as decoration. The bar wooden bar that connects the figure to the two wheels is striped in red. This toy makes a wonderful clanking sound as the figure moves freely back and forth between both sides of the Fortune Car. The entire piece possesses the warm-heartedness of being a true treasure of a particular time in history. The figure is made of Mazuki, which is a very pale, fine, white-grained variety of dogwood, which is native to the area. It has the artist's script signature on the bottom of the doll.
See our Vintage Japanese Toy Section: https://mingeiarts.com/collections/vintage-japanese-toys as well as our e-book entitled: A Collector’s Guide: Traditional and Creative Kokeshi and Toys: https://mingeiarts.com/collections/our-books/products/a-collectors-guide-traditional-and-creative-kokeshi-and-toys
Condition: Excellent meaning that the piece retains its original craft/workmanship and functions as intended, showing a wonderful-developed patina and is void of damage, cracks, breakage, or repairs and meets all the standards of the collectible Vintage Traditional Kokeshi Toys.
Japanese Traditional Kokeshi
Yamagata-Sakunami-Kei (Family)
Prefecture: Miyagi
Origin:
Unique to this strain of the original ten traditional types is the fact that the Yamagata Kokeshi originated at Sakunami Onsen in Miyagi Prefecture, and was produced by the Kobayashi family. The family later moved to the city of Yamagata in the prefecture of the same name. However, the Hiraga family stayed in Sakunami and continued producing the same style doll, which is why these Kokeshi are made in two different locations. Because there are two very different body shapes in this group, many people consider them separately, but due to the confusion over who actually created the first of this type, we will discuss them as one family.
Collector's note – characteristics/painting style:
The dolls have disproportionately larger heads, but while the Yamagata doll has a very slender body, the later Sakunami dolls have wide upper bodies, and very narrow bases. Both look quite top-heavy, leading some people to assume that originally they were much smaller, and designed to be hand-held toys, rather than freestanding dolls. Both strains are made of one piece of wood with faces that incorporate two lidded eyes as well as a single-lid on top of the eye. The mouth is usually two short parallel lines, with some having a red line with a red dot below. Plum, (Ume), and crab-flower chrysanthemum, (Kiku), blossoms dominate the body design. Additionallly, Safflowers are seen, and are considered unique to this strain. The flowers are usually painted in a very bold, stylized design in colours of red and dark green, and also painted or grooved bands ringing the top and the bottom of the dolls. The hair is pulled nto a single “braid” that is t ied with a circular red ribbon with radiating ends. Some dolls have hats similar to the conical (Suge-gasa) hat that incorporates “chattering” rather than painting giving them texture. Most have traditional half-moon shaped bangs and tufts, or side hair fringes framing the face. Indeed, these dolls are one of the older Kokeshi forms, as they date to the early Meiji period, (1868-1912). A final unique feature of the Sakunami dolls is the fact they are only made from Mizuki, a very pale, fine-grained variety of dogwood, which grows in the Yamagata area.
Leading, Craftsmen:
Abe, Masayoshi, 1939- No additional published information
Hayashaka, Dinkichi - No additional published information
Higara, Teizo, 1897-1992 - No additional published information
Hiraga Tadashi, b. 1937, (Sakunami, Miyagi) - Masters: Hiraga Kenjiro, 1918, (Sakunami, Miyagi) - Master: Hiraga, Kenjiro, 1918-2012 - No additional published information
Hirose, Shigeo, 1926, (Mikura-jima, Tokyo) - Master Suzuki, Shoji
Kobayashi, Koutaro, 1936, (Yamagata) - Master: Kobayashi, Eizo
Kobayashi, Eizo, Master, 1907 (Yamagata) - Masters: Koyabashi, Kuraki-chi and Kobayashi, Seizo - No additional published information
Kobayashi, Seitaro, Grand Master, 1926-2005, (Yamagata) - Master: Kobayashi
Kobayashi, Seijiro, 1918-2015 - No additional published information
Okuyama, Kozo, 1905-1984, (Kahoku, Yamagata) - Master: Okuyama, Yasuji
Shida, Kikumaro, 1892-1984 - No additional published information
Satomi, Masao, 1922-1981 - No additional published information
Shido, Shozan, 1932-1995
Umezu, Haruo, 1926, (Yamagata) - Master Kanayama, Buntaro
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