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

This listing is for a vintage Sakunami kokeshi made around 10 years ago by the Iwasaki kokeshi workshop.  Sakunami refers to the Sakunami onsen village located in Sendai, Tohoku.  This particular type of kokeshi is produced as souvenirs for people visiting the local area, and their charm comes from tree bark carefully worked into the design.  The front of the kokeshi in this listing is decorated with a red bridge and a temple, and what appears to a poem.  This area was made famous by haiku poet Matsuo Basho when he walked a 24,000km trail searching for inspiration for his poetry.  The journey took five months, and he spent a considerable amount of time in the Tohoku area.  The signature of the craftsperson can be found on the bottom and reads as ‘Iwasaki’.

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.29.5cm (11.6”)

Condition

It’s in very good condition aside from very minor wear and a mark from a sticker or seal.

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.