Stuffed Folk Toy Set – Zodiac Animals

A set of 12 hand-sewn zodiac folk toys, made in Hida-Takayama, Gifu Prefecture, using woodblock-printed fabric.

£240.00 per item

Hida-Takayama is a centre of wooden furniture production in Japan. Manufacturing produces scrap wood, but to avoid waste some scrap is made into printing blocks. Woodblock is a printing method adopted in Japan from the Asian continent during the Edo-period (1603-1868 CE) for printing on paper and canvas to make books, prints and decorations. Individual blocks are carved to print each colour of the design onto cotton fabric. Once multiple blocks have been applied the colours are set with steam. The toys are then filled with rice hulls, a by-product of rice milling. The animals in this set each represent one of the 12 signs of the Japanese astrological zodiac. Japan follows a 12-year astrological cycle, where each year is represented by a different animal, whose attributes are sometimes said to be inherited by the individuals born in that particular year. 2023 is the Year of the Rabbit.

Avoid moisture and open flames.

Size:

Mouse: L8 cm x W4.5 cm x H5 cm
Cow: L10.5 cm x W5 cm x H6 cm
Tiger: L6 cm x W4.7 cm x H7 cm
Rabbit: L8 cm x W4.5 cm x H5 cm
Dragon: L9 cm x W4 cm x H7 cm
Snake: L7 cm x W4.5 cm x H7 cm
Horse: L9 cm x W4 cm x H8 cm
Sheep: L8.5 cm x W4.5 cm x H5.5 cm
Monkey: L6 cm x W4.5 cm x H7 cm
Bird: L7 cm x W4 cm x H6 cm
Dog: L9 cm x W4.5 cm x H5 cm
Wild boar: L8.5 cm W4.5 cm x H4.5 cm

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