Place of origin: Yokote City, Akita Prefecture
Donated by Shikano Ichio
Nakayama dolls began when the potter Noda Ukichi settled in the Nakayama area—present-day Hiraga district in Yokote City—and began making Nakayama ware. His son Kintarō married a woman named Hiwatari Yoshi, and after studying the craft of ceramic-making from her husband, she created Nakayama dolls in the early Meiji period (1868–1912.)
Ceramic bells depicting animals in the Chinese zodiac have been produced since 1949. Images of these bells have been used on New Year’s stamps, which are beloved throughout Japan.