✳︎ Nagano Prefecture Folk Toy Chin-nori Doji (Dog-Riding Boy) ✳︎ Craftsman: Hisao Nara, the 5th ✳︎ Production Period: Showa Era ✳︎ Size: Approximately Height 95 x Width 90 x Depth 42mm ✳︎ Condition: A very good, beautiful item. It has been carefully stored, so there is little deterioration, and there are no cracks, chips, or noticeable paint peeling. Please check the condition in the images. This is a very rare work, "Chin-nori Doji (Dog-Riding Boy)," produced during the Showa era by Hisao Nara, the 5th head of the Nakano clay dolls (Nakano dolls, Nara family), a traditional folk toy from Nakano City, Nagano Prefecture, which has been passed down since the Edo period. A rare work by the 5th Hisao Nara: This is a warm, handmade masterpiece by Hisao Nara, who has long carried on the tradition of Nakano dolls. Especially the works from the Showa era are attractive for their simple shapes that strongly retain the texture of the clay and their powerful colors. With the tradition now passed on to the 6th generation, the works of the 5th generation are becoming increasingly difficult to obtain year by year. The composition of a boy riding a charming chin (dog) is the ultimate auspicious design, combining the dog, a symbol of safe childbirth and fertility, with the motif of a child wishing for healthy growth. It has been displayed as a lucky charm to ward off evil for children and to pray for good health and longevity. You will be healed by the gentle smile of the boy and the charming expression of the chin. ◉ History of Nakano Clay Dolls (Nara Family) Nakano clay dolls began in the late Edo period (Bunka and Bunsei eras: 1804-1828) when the first Eikichi Nara was fascinated by the Fushimi dolls of Kyoto and received the molds. The Nara family's dolls are small, with many featuring boys, and are characterized by their lovely facial expressions. You can feel the warmth in the approximately 200-year-old traditional form. The tradition is still preserved by the Nara and Nishihara families, but their products are rarely sold through general mail order or in stores. They can only be purchased at the sales event of the <Nakano Hina Market> held from March 31st to April 1st every year. In the past, enthusiasts from all over the country flocked to the event, and it was so popular and rare that only a limited number of people could purchase them by lottery. Opportunities to appear on the market are extremely valuable. Search Terms #NakanoClayDolls #FolkToys #Fukusuke #HisaoNara #YukioNara #NakanoDolls #TategahanaDolls #Mingei #LuckyCharm #NewYearDecorations #AbundanceOfGrains #GoodFortune #GoodLuck #BringingGoodFortune #WelcomingCustomers #ShowaToys #LivingWithAntiqueItems #KanameYamamoto #KeisukeSerizawa #BernardLeach #Beams #MingeiOkumura #folktoy #folklore