Vintage Japanese Traditional Nakanosawa Kokeshi by Fumio Kakizaki. He apprenticed under Takeo, Takahashi, and Yoshizo, Iwamoto, one of the original craftsmen who helped establish this style in the 1920s. This family of dolls was previously considered a sub-strain of the Tsuchiyu style.
The facial expression shows humor that is representative of Iwamoto Kenichi, a street dancer, (Sutorītodansā), in the 1920s, who used a cushion that had a face with large eyes painted on it. His audience was soon so taken with his dance with the pillow that they asked for a doll to be made with these special features.
