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
Kyūshū and Okinawa
This is Japan’s south-west region including the island of Kyūshū and the sub-tropical island chain of Okinawa. Kyūshū was an early centre of Japanese civilization, and offers many historic treasures, modern cities and volcanic natural beauty. It is home to the ports of Kagoshima, Nagasaki and Fukuoka, the porcelain manufacturing centre in Arita and the Tanegashima Space Center launch site.
