Vintage Striped Japanese Traditional Kokeshi Doll - Yajirou-Kei

A beautifully painted with a joyful face vintage striped Japanese traditional Kokeshi Doll which I've identified from Yajirou-Kei but happy to stand corrected.  The majority of this style are brightly painted utilising a rainbow of colours, from the usual red and black to green, yellow, and even blue and purple and are available in probably the widest range of shapes. The upper body usually has a hand-painted collar with horizontal stripes encircling the body.

Kokeshi's are a Japanese symbol of good luck and fortune. Traditionally crafted in hard solid wood on a lathe and often painted whilst still on there.  This authentic Kokeshi doll has an over-sized head and a slim cylindrical body hand-painted horizontally in red, yellow, green and black. The artist has signed the doll underneath as shown in the images.  Kokeshis are individual, each one is unique and different. 

This authentic, wooden Kokeshi, is in good vintage condition.  There are two small dents - one on the side of its head and one on its body.  There is some sun-fading and an area where there is some water damage where the paint has run but this is all noticeable on close inspection.  Personally I do not think these blemishes detract from the piece.

Dimensions: Base diameter: 5.5cm Head diameter: 10cm Height: 35.5cm

Wikepedia History of Kokeshi Dolls - Kokeshi are simple wooden Japanese dolls with no arms or legs that have been crafted for more than 150 years as a toy for children. Originally from the Tohoku region in northern Honshu, they are handmade from wood, having a simple trunk and head with a few thin, painted lines to define the face. The body often has floral and/or ring designs painted in red, black, and sometimes green, purple, blue, or yellow inks, and covered with a layer of wax. One characteristic of kokeshi dolls is their lack of arms or legs. Since the 1950s, kokeshi makers have signed their work, usually on the bottom and sometimes on the back.