A Naruko Kokeshi handcrafted by Kimio Chubachi (中鉢君雄), a traditional kokeshi artisan from Naruko, Miyagi Prefecture, in Japan's Tōhoku region.
Kimio Chubachi born on November 27, 1935, in Komuro, Naruko-machi, Miyagi Prefecture, Kimio Chubachi grew up in a farming family as the third son of Kisoemon and Umeyo Chubachi.
After graduating from Kawawatari Junior High School in March 1951, he began his apprenticeship under the respected Naruko craftsman Kizō Gotō (後藤木蔵), training until 1959 alongside fellow apprentices Sadao Saitō and Akira Gotō.
Following his apprenticeship, Chubachi worked with several established woodturning and kokeshi workshops, including those of Hideo Ōnuma and Yoshisuke Ōnuma. In April 1961, he established his own workshop in Kami-Naruko, where he began producing kokeshi under his own name.
Although he briefly experimented with innovative designs early in his independent career, Chubachi remained largely devoted to the traditional Naruko style. His craftsmanship was also recognised by fellow artisans, and he occasionally produced turned wooden blanks for the renowned kokeshi maker Ushijirō Shibasaki.
Chubachi's work embodies the continuity of Naruko's woodturning tradition, preserving the characteristic shapes, floral decorations, and expressive simplicity that have made these dolls beloved examples of Japanese folk craftsmanship.
Size: 8 x 8 x 30cm
