Hakata doll

Hakata dolls appeared in the 1890 National Industrial Exhibition in Japan and in the Exposition Universelle (Paris World Expo) in 1900 and became a topic of discussion.

“Dolls of the World” were made with Hakata techniques and were well received at the Paris expo; they are now in a collection at the General Research Museum at Tokyo University.

Delicately made with rich coloration, these “Dolls of the World” were sold for 1 yen and 50 sen in those days.

At the end of the 19th century, Hakata dolls transformed from simple biscuit-fired toys to works of art.

Yoichi Kojima, a student of Rokusaburō Shirouzu, won a gold medal in Paris' 1925 International Exhibition of Modern Decorative and Industrial Arts for his Hakata dolls, and fellow students Kihei Harada and Yoichi Oayu were awarded silver medals.