Item Description - A beautiful pair of Japanese creative Kokeshi dolls, each crafted from wood and featuring hand-painted plum blossom (ume) motifs. The dolls display different tones of wood and painted kimonos, with the plum blossoms rendered in striking white and vermillion (red-orange) hues. The creative Kokeshi style, pioneered by artists like Usaburo Okamoto, moves beyond the traditional, simple forms of Naruko-style Kokeshi to incorporate sculptural elements and more elaborate decoration, as seen in the distinct hairstyles and detailed kimonos of these pieces. The smaller doll, titled "麗春" (Reishun), is characterized by a darker, rich wood tone for the body, featuring bold red and white plum blossoms. It has a signature stamp on the bottom and a pyrographed signature by the artist near the base. The larger doll, titled "恋心" (Koigokoro), has a lighter, natural wood finish for the head and a dark, almost black, painted kimono with plum blossoms and suspended white and red elements. A maker's stamp is also present on the bottom. It bears a sticker indicating it was purchased as a souvenir from Tojinbo in Fukui Prefecture. Both dolls are in good vintage condition, showcasing the natural wood grain and the characteristic expressive simplicity of creative Kokeshi. Artist - The artist is **Usaburo Okamoto (初代 岡本卯三郎, Usaburo Okamoto I)**. Born in 1917, he began Kokeshi production in 1950. He is widely recognized as a pioneer of the Creative Kokeshi style. Okamoto revolutionized Kokeshi design by introducing techniques such as carving (sculpting) and pyrography (yakie, burning designs onto the wood) to complement the traditional brush painting. This approach added a three-dimensional depth to his work, laying the foundation for the "Usaburo Kokeshi" style, which is now one of Japan's most famous creative Kokeshi workshops. His representative work, "Kantsubaki" (Winter Camellia), was purchased by Emperor Showa. He was also a recipient of the prestigious Minister of International Trade and Industry Award (通産大臣賞). In 1979, he established a modern workshop, which continues to operate today. He passed away in 2009 at the age of 91. Size & Weight - - Larger Kokeshi Doll: 22.5 x 7 x 7 cm - Weight: 250 g - Smaller Kokeshi Doll: 18 x 6.5 x 6.5 cm - Weight: 230 g Keyword for search - Japanese Folk Art / Usaburo Kokeshi / Traditional Japanese Crafts / Wooden Doll / Creative Kokeshi / Handmade Sculpture / Plum Blossom Motif / Showa Era / Japanese Souvenir Good condition. While overall in good condition considering their age, they may show slight signs of wear and minor dirt. Please refer to the photos for a closer look. NOITICE The lot will be carefully packaged and sent by Japan Post, DHL or FedEx, depending on the situation. It takes about 3 weeks to receive normally. Import duties, taxes, and charges are not included in the item price or shipping cost. These charges are the buyer's responsibility. Sometimes Customes or delivery company in your country contact you for Customs clearance via phone or email. Please make sure that you could answer the phone. If you don't, the parcel will return to me and it cost more double shipping fee for reshipping. I appreciate your cooperation.