Folk Toy Bell - Dove
能古見人形 はと鈴
£32.00 per item
A handmade clay dove bell from Saga Prefecture.
The craft of nogomi ningyō, nogomi dolls, started after World War II as a means to soothe people’s hearts and minds. As such, these little clay figurines first started to be sold as good luck charms and talismans at the Yūtoku Inari shrine, the third largest Inari shrine in Japan. Inari is a kami (spirit or deity) in shintō religion, associated with the rice harvest, household well-being and foxes – who act as her messengers. Inari is one of the most widely venerated shintō deities in Japan.
These dolls are all made by hand using moulds to create the two sides which are joined together before firing them in a kiln at over 900 degrees Celsius. Afterwards they are coated with a white paint called gofun, that serves as the base onto which to paint all of the other colours.
In Japan, as in many other places around the world, doves are a symbol of peace.
The paint is not waterproof.
As each piece is handmade, there might be individual differences.
Size: L6 cm W4 cm x H7 cm
Chūbu
The central Chūbu region is predominantly mountainous, home to the rugged Japan Alps with coasts on both the Sea of Japan and the Pacific Ocean. The region's history has been shaped by its strategic position between the great cities of Kyoto and Tokyo with Nagoya at its heart. Niigata lies to the north while Mt Fuji can be found in the south in Shizuoka Prefecture.
