Creative KOKESHI - 創作こけし -

The village is completely covered with snow as the snowflakes drift down. Each snowflake, large and small, is individually painted by a craftsman with a brush. The work expresses the silver world in a dream, with snow-covered roofs and decorations that disappear toward the collar, with no details daring to be drawn.

This work is titled "Snow-covered scenery".

Beautiful scenes are a gift from nature, aren't they?

Inspired by these scenes, the craftsman shaves the wood and picks up a paintbrush.

USABURŌ (岡本卯三郎 - Usaburo I), Usaburo brand　

Usaburo I, the founder of Usaburo kokeshi, was born in 1917 in Shinto, Gunma Prefecture, and started kokeshi manufacture in 1950.
Winner of many prizes, including the Prize of the Minister of International Trade and industry. Died in Jul 2009 at the age of 91.

His particular processing technique has redefined the design of traditional kokeshi.
Usaburo also studied the possibiulity of using keyaki and chestnut, trees having beautiful grains, in addition to table dogwood, a commonly used material. Today, Usaburo Kokeshi can boast 6 award-winning craftsmen, as well as 25 collaborating craftsmen employed in the production of kokeshi dolls.