Vintage Pair Kokeshi Dolls by Usaburo – Journey (25cm/9.8 inches)

Beautiful pair of vintage creative kokeshi dolls by Master Usaburo. They are titled 道 (Michi) which means “Journey”, “Road/Path”. The male is wearing a green & natural wood color kimono and the female is wearing a lovely red kimono with floral decorations and a matching hair ornament.

Okamoto Usaburo, the founder of the famous Usaburo kokeshi was born in Gunma prefecture in 1917 and started making kokeshi dolls in 1950. He is considered to be a pioneer in the kokeshi world thanks to his original machines that he developed for kokeshi making and the way he revolutionized the carving and burning process by introducing new techniques.
He also explored using types of trees that haven’t been traditionally used before for kokeshi making, such as chestnut and keyaki (thanks to their wonderful ugrain). After a considerable effort he succeed in creating marvelous dolls out of them as well as flower vases. He won many prizes for his works, including the prize of the Minister of International Trade and Industry.

In very good condition with minor signs of age and use. The male has a mark on his sleeve. Comes with the original wooden sign.

Height
Male: 25cm / 9.8 inches
Female: 25cm / 9.8 inches