Folk Toy Whistle - Sparrow
尾崎人形 すずめ
£24.00 per item
A small handmade clay sparrow figurine from Saga Prefecture, that functions as a whistle.
The craft of Osaki ningyō or Osaki dolls, dates to the 13th century and the the Mongolian invasion of 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. As the clay soil had qualities well suited to pottery, whistles and figurines were moulded out of clay in the shape of birds and zodiac animals. The dolls are all made by hand using moulds to create two halves which are then joined together. Once the two parts have been attached, the surface and seams are smoothed out, and two holes are pierced into the soft clay body to create the opening for the whistle. It is then fired at 800C for six hours and finished with a coat of white paint. Often, primary colours of red, blue and yellow are used to paint colourful markings on the dolls.
This Osaki doll is a whistle shaped as a sparrow. It has distinctive markings in red, blue and yellow and is small enough to fit in the palm of the hand.
The paint is not waterproof.
As each piece is handmade, each piece is slightly different.
Size : W6.5×D4×H5cm
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.
