Folk art toys from around the world

Toys not only contain the playful spirit of children, but also the memories and prayers of communities passed down from ancestors.
This book introduces the 20th century folk toy collection that the Japan Toy Museum, a private museum in Hyogo Prefecture, has built up together with people from all over the world.

Toys made from familiar materials such as wood, earth, nuts, straw, palm leaves, gourds, and paper strongly reflect the different senses of design, beliefs, and wisdom of each region.The exhibition quietly sheds light on folk art that is being forgotten with the passage of time, such as a duck piggy bank made in a pottery village in Mexico, a bone Kendama made by the Inuit, and a wooden bird with spread wings from Eastern and Northern Europe.

This book presents 56 carefully selected toys from the museum's collection, conveying their appeal through vivid photographs and concise explanations. It also introduces the toy culture of five countries that are treasure troves of folk toys, and by examining common designs across borders through 10 themes, it highlights the universality of folk toys and the individuality of each region.

Toys, which have tended to lose their value in the process of modernization, are also an accumulation of collective aesthetics and symbols that transcend the work of individuals. This book is a journey into the gentle world of 20th century design, which was accompanied by prayers for people's happiness.

[Title] Folk toys from around the world
[Publisher] Daifuku Shorin
[Publication date] September 25, 2020 (1st edition)
[Number of pages] 160 pages
[Size] Approx. 188*238*17mm, 0.58kg
[Format] Hardcover
[Title reading] Sekai no Min Gaigan
[Authors/Editors] Ozaki Orihime/Author, Takami Chika/Photography, Jikuhara Yosuke/Design and Planning
[Print] Tokyo Inshokan
[ISBN] 4908465142
[Condition] Brand new
[Accessories] None
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Ozaki Ayame

Graduated from the Faculty of Education, Kobe University.
After working for the Overseas Children's Education Promotion Foundation, he became a curator at the Japan Toy Museum in 1990.
For over 30 years, he has been involved in researching and collecting folk art toys from around the world and building research networks. He has planned numerous exhibitions and lectures both inside and outside the museum, including the "Christmas Around the World" and the "Hina Dolls" exhibition, with a total of over 300 planned exhibitions. He specializes in children's culture surrounding seasonal festivals.

His publications include "Mamagoto" (Bunkeido, 2014), "An illustrated guide to interesting toys from Japan and around the world" (co-authored, Kobe Shimbun Publishing Center, 2017), "Folk art toys from around the world - Collection of the Japan Toy Museum" (Daifuku Shorin, 2020), and "Toys for the Chinese public - Collection of the Japan Toy Museum" (Daifuku Shorin, 2022).

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