Papier-mache Figurine - Bowing Deer

Creating figurines is an age-old craft in Japan. Small humanoid and animal figurines made of clay have been discovered which date as far back as the Jōmon period (approx. 14,000-400 BC). As one of the earliest forms of craftsmanship and creative expression, the creation of such figurines grew in popularity as people experimented with new techniques and materials such as wood, metal and paper. The Japanese technique of hariko is one such example. These hariko figurines have been created at the Good Job! Center Kashiba which strives to create jobs in various industries for people with disabilities. Instead of a carved wooden or bamboo mould that would normally be wrapped in washi (Japanese paper), they use 3D printed moulds and wrap them in either washi or newspaper which has been soaked in a specially prepared mix of glue and chalk to create the figurines. Without removing the mould within, the figurines are simply painted by hand using special white paint called gofun, and acrylic paint for the colours. Hariko has been used for centuries in Japan to create a wide variety of folk toys. These toys are often used as ornaments or as good luck charms carrying symbolic meanings. This red shika deer figurine was made to resemble akabeko, a hariko folk toy from the Aizu region, that is made in the shape of a red cow with a bobbing head. The bobbing head of this toy is designed after the famous bowing deer roaming the parks around the Kasuga shrine in Nara Prefecture.

As each piece is handmade, there might be individual differences.

Size: L11.5 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.