Vintage daruma doll, by KUMAGAI Yaichi (1920-1997) | だるまこけし 熊谷弥市 | Naruko style 鳴子系

This is a 1980's vintage daruma kokeshi doll, by KUMAGAI Yaichi (1920-1997) who was a Naruko style kokeshi craftsman in Tohoku, Japan.
According to the note by previous owner, this daruma was made before 1988, which was the 63rd year of the Showa 昭和 era in Japan.

The leaning facial expression and expanded shape make this kokeshi look like a fabric bag with something inside. 
The Kanji on the body is '寿-kotobuki', which means a kind of celebration and longevity.

Daruma dolls are a lucky charm in Japan. The model of the doll is the Chinese Monk Dharma who lost his arms and legs after the ascetic practice in a cave for 9 years. After the story was brought to Japan, the Monk Dharma’s appearance was connected with Japanese tumbler toy doll, which doesn’t have arms and legs. 
The glare of the Daruma doll, we think of as a way to intimidate misfortune and calamity. The Daruma rejects your adversity and bring you good luck.

craftsman: KUMAGAI Yaichi (1920-1997) 熊谷弥市
style: Naruko 鳴子系
He was born in Naruko town, which is a famous kokeshi crafting area. He started painting kokeshi dolls in 1948. In 1960, he started learning woodwork under the guidance of OHNUMA Chikara (1927-2018) who was a Naruko style kokeshi craftsman. After that, he became independent and continued to make koekeshi dolls.

Approx. dimensions
- height : 8.5cm / 3.34inch
- diameter : 8.5cm / 3.34inch
- weight : 186.0g

[Please consider the following]
- Our Kokeshis are painted with water colors, so they can be easily damaged by water. Please use a dry cloth to clean it.
- Our kokeshi are made of wood, so please avoid exposure to direct sunlight or heat. Humidity may damage the kokeshi. Please avoid excess moisture. (especially direct air from the air conditioner damages to the kokeshi dolls.)
- We strive to take photographs that are as accurate as possible to the actual product. However, please note that the color of the product photos may differ from the actual color depending on the environment in which you view them, such as on a computer or smartphone. Thank you for your understanding.

 [About shipment ]
I send your parcel by DHL to the world. The estimated time will be 5-10 days. The shipment fee will be calculated by the number of products you buy. Please double check your registered sending address on Shopify before completing your order. Every shipment has the tracking number. We will send you the number after shipping your parcel. 日本国内は、佐川急便にて発送致します。日時指定をご希望の際は、メモをご記入ください。（佐川急便の指定不可地域の場合はご指定いただけません）

[ Custom Tariff ]
Every customer is responsible for any customs and taxes when you import items from Japan. Especially, the customers from EU, UK and some other countries, sorry this shop doesn’t accept IOSS in those countries. The delivery staff will ask you to pay the tax when they deliver. We are not responsible for delays due to customs.