This little kokeshi is made by Usaburō no Mago (卯三郎の孫) – Usaburō’s grandson, referring to Okamoto Usaburō’s grandson Okamoto Hiroyuki (岡本 弘行). It is the depiction of Jizō Bosatsu (地蔵菩薩, Kṣitigarbha in Sanskrit), one of Japan’s most beloved Buddhist deities. Jizō is a guardian of children – including unborn and lost babies, expectant mothers, women in childbirth and travellers.
In Japanese folklore, Jizō is the savior of deceased, stillborn, or miscarried infants. According to legend, these children are trapped in purgatory on the banks of the Sanzu River, forced to pile stones into towers to build good karma. Because demons come to scatter their stones, the towers are never finished. Jizō Bosatsu comes to their rescue, hiding them in his robes to protect them from demons and guiding them to salvation.
This Jizō kokeshi has a serene expression with closed eyes and rosy cheeks; his hands are clasped together over a small red bib, the yodarekake (涎掛け), holding Buddhist prayer beads, the juzu (数珠).
In Japan, you’ll find little stone statues of Jizō frequently adorned with hand-knit red caps and bibs. In Japanese folk tradition, the color red is believed to expel demons and illness. Parents dress these statues to pray for the longevity of their children or to guide the souls of the deceased into the afterlife safely. You will commonly find them along mountain passes, roadsides, and at the edge of village borders to protect travellers. In temples and graveyards, they are often grouped in sets of six (Rokujizō – 六地蔵) to protect beings across the six realms of Buddhist cosmology.
Specification:
Height: 5 centimetres
Weight: 60 grams
Material:
Mizuki (Giant dogwood)