About This Item:
A set of TWO vintage Arima "ningyo-fude" (doll brushes) from Japan, made by Nishida Fudeho, the traditional brush maker of Arima Onsen (hot-spring town) in Kobe, Hyogo. Arima brushes are a famous Japanese folk craft.
These are the celebrated "doll brushes" (also called trick / karakuri brushes): when the brush is held with the tip pointing down, a tiny doll pops out from the top of the handle - a charming traditional mechanism. Please see our video.
The handles are beautifully wrapped in colored silk thread (one in a red/black/white geometric pattern, one in yellow with red diagonal lines), with natural bamboo ends and soft white brush tips.
They come in the original presentation box printed in the classic Arima style. The box text notes the maker (Nishida Fudeho, Arima Onsen) and references to a Hyogo Prefecture handicraft contest and to the 1970 World Exposition (EXPO '70, Osaka) as a recommended local folk-craft exhibit.
Size / details
- Brush lengths approx. 22 cm and 20 cm
- Weight approx. 63 g including the box
- Materials: bamboo, animal-hair bristles, silk thread wrap