*SHIPPING OPTIONS VARY DEPENDING ON THE DESTINATION, PLEASE SCROLL TO THE END OF THIS LISTING FOR MORE DETAILS.

This listing is for an ‘osho’ kokeshi okimono made around 30-40 years ago.  It is made of wood and features four small kokeshi carrying a shogi piece attached to a mikoshi.  Shogi is a board game similar to chess, and a mikoshi is a portable float carried during festivals.  The writing on the shogi piece says ‘osho’,which means king piece.  Osho okimono are generally made from zelkova and or sen wood, and they are hand carved and finished with clear lacquer.  Tendo City in Yamagata Prefecture is Japan's largest producer of shogi pieces and shogi okimono.  The making of shogi pieces began in Tendo during the late Edo period when shogi was becoming popular among the common people.  At that time, the Tendo Oda domain was suffering from severe financial hardship.  The Oda clan encouraged the samurai to rebuild their finances by making pieces, which they had learned from the Yonezawa clan.  Tendo shogi pieces were designated as a national traditional craft in 1996.  Osho themed okimono are often displayed as lucky charms at house or shop entrances to celebrate housewarming or store openings.   

Wooden kokeshi dolls are a kind of traditional folk art which originated in Tohoku. Most are brightly-coloured and feature a cylindrical body and perfectly round head. Decorations on newer kokeshi tend to have a coat of lacquer over the top, whilst the older variety’s paintwork tends to be applied on the top of the clear lacquer. Therefore it is possible to smudge or wipe off the paintwork on the older type so take care when cleaning them.                                                                                                                        

Size

H.27.3cm (10.7”) x 17cm (6.6”) across x 10.7cm (4.2”) from back to front                              

Condition

It has some light wear, and one of the feet is slightly shorter than the others so it’s a bit wobbly.                                                                                                                                   

THESE ARE SHIPPING ESTIMATES BASED ON THE CURRENT GLOBAL SITUATION                                                                 

**Germany, France, Greece, Spain, Poland, Austria, Slovakia, Lithuania, Slovenia:  NO SHIPPING.  Very strict and expensive packaging laws in place and we are not licensed to send products to these countries.  We have no plan to register at this time because the process is in some cases very expensive and complicated, plus each country has its own set of regulations and application process. 

**USA, UK, Canada, Australia, New Zealand, Switzerland, Norway: Airmail  Small Packet (approx. 15-28 days).  Combined shipping available up to 2kgs for Airmail Small Packet (please send us a message).

**Asia:  Airmail Small Packet (approx. 15-21 days).  Combined shipping available up to 2kgs for Airmail Small Packet (please send us a message).

**Central Asia, Middle East, South Africa, Brazil, Mexico:  EMS Express 10-15 days.

**Russia:  No shipping methods available.