Wooden Zodiac figurines Caving twelve zodiac animals for luck made it in 1985

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Wooden Zodiac figurines Caving twelve zodiac animals for luck made it in 1985:
$88888.00

made it in 1985

the History

About 200 years ago, Sabe Ogura settled in Yoshioka, Tottori City, Tottori Prefecture, and later moved to Iwai Onsen, said to be one of the oldest in the San'in region.

The "Wooden Zodiac" was devised about 90 years ago by the eighth generation Koji Ogura, where wooden parts such as the body and face, turned on a lathe, are glued together, coated with crushed shell powder as a base, and colored with mud paint.

All work is done by hand, and no two pieces are the same. Currently, the family is producing them together with Aiko, a traditional craftsman of Tottori Prefecture.

The wooden zodiac figurines were conceived about 90 years ago by the eighth generation Koji Ogura. They are made by gluing together wooden parts such as the body and face, which are turned on a lathe, then coated with crushed shell powder as a base and colored with mud paint.

All work is done by hand, and no two pieces are the same.

Their charming and rustic expressions have made them popular as souvenirs and gifts purchased by people from all over the country.

Tradition creates the warmth of handmade crafts. How to make: The material for the dolls is the wood of the Japanese dogwood. This wood is dried for five years, and then turned on a lathe to create the materials. The body, head, legs, and tail are glued together, and crushed seashell powder is applied as a base, followed by coloring with mud paint. All work is done by hand, and each piece is carefully made with the hope of bringing happiness to its owner.

The design and colors, devised by the eighth generation Koji Ogura, have been passed down to the ninth generation Masao (deceased) without change. Once the undercoating is complete, the mud paint is mixed with glue and the painting process begins. There are at least eight steps for simpler pieces, and up to fifteen steps for more complex ones.

The finished dolls are left to dry for about a week before being packed.

Small dolls, medium dolls, and large dolls are carefully packed into paper boxes, while the set of twelve zodiac signs is packed one by one into custom-made paulownia boxes.

The paulownia boxes are inscribed by the late ninth generation Masao's wife, Aiko Ogura (a traditional craftsman from Tottori Prefecture).