Vintage Japanese sōsaku Kokeshi doll – Spring Song – signed Okamoto Usaburō 岡本卯三郎 – 13.5 cm

📐 Features

• Origin: Japan, Usaburo Kokeshi workshop, discovered in Fukuoka Prefecture
• Period: vintage, second half of the 20th century 1970-2000
• Style: Kokeshi sōsaku 創作こけし – free artistic creation
• Artisan: Okamoto Usaburō 岡本卯三郎, first generation
• Model: Haru no uta 春の歌, “Spring Song”
• Motifs: red and white Japanese camellias tsubaki 椿
• Material: turned wood, paint, engraving, glossy finish
• Height: 13.5 cm
• Signature: red stamp from the Usaburo workshop
• Condition: very good vintage condition, beautiful sheen, discreet minor signs of wear, natural wood patina.

The artisan: Okamoto Usaburō 岡本卯三郎

Okamoto Usaburō is one of the most important names in the world of Japanese creative kokeshi. Founder of the Usaburo Kokeshi workshop, he was born in 1917 in Gunma Prefecture.

After working with artificial stone and metal crafts, he began making kokeshi in 1950. He quickly moved beyond simple brush painting to develop a more sculptural style, combining natural wood, engraving, burning, and relief.

His work left a lasting mark on the history of sōsaku creative kokeshi, to the point that his workshop became the largest kokeshi producer in Japan.

His most famous work, Kantsubaki, decorated with camellias on magnificent zelkova wood, was even acquired by Emperor Shōwa.

Details

This Haru no uta, “Spring Song” kokeshi, perfectly embodies the softness of the Usaburo style.

Its minimalist face, with its fine eyes and small red smile, exudes a calm, almost mischievous expression. The black okappa hairstyle, a traditional straight cut associated with Japanese children, is treated here in a round and shiny volume very recognizable to the workshop.

The light wood body reveals a superb natural grain. The red and white camellia tsubaki flowers add a poetic and luminous touch. For Usaburō, the camellia is not just a simple decoration: it is an emblematic motif, deeply linked to his work.

Haru no uta

The name Haru no uta 春の歌 means “Spring Song”. It evokes renewal, the delicacy of flowers, and that discreet poetry found in beautiful Japanese kokeshi.

With its small size of 13.5 cm, this piece is easy to display, yet it maintains a real presence thanks to its shiny black hair, its grained wood, and its vibrant camellias.

🦝 We love

A beautiful Kokeshi Sōsaku by the great Usaburo, signed with the workshop's red stamp, by one of the most famous Japanese kokeshi artists. We particularly love its sublime camellias, its okappa hairstyle typical of Usaburo, and its adorable face. A soft, poetic, and highly collectible little piece.

Continue your journey to the heart of ancient Japan with our complete collection of kokeshi dolls.