Large vintage Japanese Kokeshi doll – Naruko style chrysanthemums – signed Okazaki Seiji (岡崎斉司) – 37 cm

📐 Specifications:

• Origin: Japan, Naruko Onsen, discovered in Fukuoka Prefecture.
• Era: Shōwa (circa 1970–1990)
• Style: Naruko-kei (鳴子系)
• Artisan: Okazaki Seiji (岡崎斉司, 1926–2002)
• Material: Turned wood, traditional paint
• Height: 37 cm
• Signature: Signed on the base: 鳴子 岡崎斉司
• Condition: Very good vintage condition, no chips or other damage, paint very well preserved, some small wood stains due to age (see photos).

The artisan: Okazaki Seiji (岡崎斉司 1926–2002)

Okazaki Seiji was a kokeshi master from Naruko Yumoto, and the eldest son of artisan Hitoshi Okazaki. Trained at a very young age in the family workshop, he learned wood carving and kokeshi painting from childhood. By the late 1930s, he was creating his own pieces, praised for their fresh lines and precise forms.

After the war, he became one of the leading representatives of the new Naruko generation, a member of the "Five Young Artists" group. Deeply involved in transmitting his knowledge, he trained several apprentices and presided over the Bunnaruko cooperative from 1965 to 1970. He passed away in 2002 at the age of 77.

🌸 Details:

This kokeshi perfectly illustrates the Naruko style: a slender body, a neck marked by turned lines, a calm face with delicate features, hitoemabuta (一重瞼, single eyelid) eyes, and a painted hairstyle framed by black strands.
At the center of the body is a hand-painted hishigiku (菱菊) motif, literally "diamond chrysanthemum," an emblematic motif of the Okazaki workshop and a symbol of longevity in Japan.

🦝 We love:

A beautiful traditional kokeshi in a pure Naruko style, by a recognized master. Its 37cm height is impressive! And of course, we love the squeaky head when turned, typical of Naruko dolls!

Want to delve deeper into the world of traditional Japanese dolls?
→ Discover all our artisan kokeshi in our KOGEDO collection