🎎 Buddhist Priest Kokeshi Doll – Japan Antique Roadshow

🎎 This charming kokeshi doll depicts a smiling Buddhist priest, dressed in a golden-yellow robe with crisp white trim and expressive hand-painted features. His shaved head and gentle expression convey serenity, humility, and warmth—a portrait of inner peace in wooden form. While unsigned, the doll reflects the Naruko kokeshi tradition, identifiable by the twistable head that emits a soft squeak, reminiscent of a baby's cry.

Measuring just 8 cm tall and weighing about 20 grams, this small figure carries a surprising emotional presence. Though worn with age—showing scuffs, flaked paint, and patina—its modest imperfections speak to decades of quiet display or handling. It was likely produced in the mid-to-late Showa period (circa 1950s–70s), perhaps as a regional souvenir or spiritual keepsake. Rarely does one encounter a kokeshi shaped in this clerical form, making it a delightful find for collectors of folk art and Japanese religious iconography.

📏 Approximate dimensions:
• Height: 8 cm
• Width (widest point): 3 cm
• Weight: 20 g
• Material: Hand-turned wood with painted details
• Condition: Moderate wear, scuffs, and flaking; squeaky twistable head in working order

Curated in Shizuoka City by Kurt Bell, this little priest offers a gentle smile and a nod to the spiritual craftsmanship of Japan’s folk tradition.