【Discover the Feature Exhibition】 Ningyoya Kahei

The world of Hakata Doll Master Harada Kahei

Feature Exhibition Room 1,

April 5^th (Tue.) ～June12^th (Sun.), 2022

Yubae: A woman in the summer evening

 

 Harada Kahei, together with Kojima Yoichi, was one of the most admired Hakata Doll makers during the Taisho (1912-1926 CE) and Showa (1926-1989 CE) periods. Harada Kahei became a pupil of the master doll-maker Hakusui Rokusaburo, and his talent blossomed very early in his career. He won a silver medal at the International Exposition in Paris in 1925. He weathered difficult times during the Pacific War as the head of the Hakata Doll Association. In 1966, he became the first Hakata doll maker to be certified as an Intangible Cultural Asset holder by Fukuoka Prefecture.

Although based on realism learned from Western art and anatomy, his work is characterized by a rich lyricism that evokes the atmosphere of Taisho Romanticism. Kahei's favorite saying was "Work teaches work."  He always signed his work "Ningoya Kahei" (meaning "Hakata Doll Master Kahei") and was a lifelong Hakata Doll craftsman who took immense pride in his work.

 In this exhibition, we are introducing you to the world of Harada Kahei through nealy 30 works created by him from the Fukuoka City Museum’s collection.

Exhibition view