Set of Three Usaburo Kokeshi Wooden Dolls, Gunma Sosaku Creative Kokeshi

A set of three wooden kokeshi dolls by Usaburo Kokeshi (Okamoto Usaburo). Sosaku (creative) kokeshi emphasize the individual artistic expression of the maker rather than fixed regional forms.

Usaburo Kokeshi is a workshop of sosaku (creative) kokeshi founded in 1950 by Okamoto Usaburo in Gunma Prefecture, near Mt. Haruna. Unlike traditional Tohoku kokeshi, sosaku kokeshi focus on the maker's own expression. The founder developed distinctive decorative techniques using burning (yaki) and carving to create three-dimensional surface designs, and worked with woods considered difficult to carve, such as zelkova and cherry. Gunma Prefecture is now Japan's largest producer of creative kokeshi, with the Usaburo workshop as its leading maker. The workshop is known internationally, including for kokeshi collaborations with popular characters, and operates a visitor center near Ikaho Onsen with a painting studio and a museum of works dating from the early Showa era.

Condition: Shows rubbing and age-related soiling from the passage of time and use.

Please refer to the photos for the item's current appearance and condition.