Folk Toy Whistle - Magpie
尾崎人形 カチガラス
A handmade clay magpie figurine from Saga Prefecture, that functions as a whistle.
The craft of osaki ningyō, osaki dolls dates back to the 13th century, the time of the Mongolian invasion in Japan. Osaki dolls are said to have been made by Mongolian settlers who made their home in the Osaki district of Kanzaki City in Saga Prefecture. These immigrants made whistles out of clay in the shape of birds and figurines of zodiac animals. The dolls are all made by hand using moulds to create the two sides which are joined together. Once the two parts have been attached, the surface and the seams are smoothened out, and two holes are pierced into the soft clay body to create the whistle. Afterwards, it is fired at 800 degrees Celsius for 6 hours then coated with a white paint except for the part that functions as the blowhole.
The paint is not waterproof.
As each piece is handmade, there might be individual differences.
Size: L9 cm x W4 cm x H7 cm
Kansai
The Kansai region includes the second-most populated metropolitan area in Japan with its largest city Osaka. Kyoto and Nara, two of Japan’s former capital cities, are home to important temples and shrines and strongholds of intangible cultural heritage, such as the Kyoto textile weaving skills of Nishijin.
