Featured Painted Clay Daruma Okimono, Unsigned: Age, If You Please?

~8 1/2"H X ~9"W X ~6"D, ~38oz.

He is hollow, probably slip-cast from fine red clay, with an applied slab floor, then green-carved prior to firing. The finish work, an' painting, is especially detailed on his face, particularly the eyes.

I acquired him in Bellingham, Washington in the early 90's; he was heavily draped in accumulated dust & cat-hair, which yielded to repeated gentle brushing (I used an old natural bristle shaving brush), which left soil-staining on most horizontal surfaces. I don't find that to be a serious distraction; any water-based cleaning would probably be destructive to some extent.

I don't doubt his origin, at all...but I do puzzle about his age. Those of you familiar with things Japanese may be able to speak with some certainty about when an' perhaps where he came into being.
Thanks for lookin'!

 

Not sure of his age, but a term that might be helpful in your research is "Hakata doll".
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hakata_doll#:~:text=A Hakata doll (博多人形,the city merger in 1889.

 

Excellent...Thank you!

 

A brief history ; In the late Edo period (1818～1830),
Kichibe Nakanoko crafted unglazed pottery folk dolls that became the model for today's Hakata dolls. They are about 50 to 60 cm tall and their dress represents the fine local textiles. Skin areas of a figure are coated with a lime-glue preparation (gesso). The remainder of the decoration is painted directly onto the pottery surface.
A slightly similar figure ;

The famous Mr. Hiroki Nakamura made some statues of Daruma practising meditation (zazen Daruma), as you can see in the example of the picture above, which is from the collection of Mr. Minegishi.
A rough age guesstimate: Circa 1970 based on the detail and similar figures like this big bloke which retail from approximately $60 to $180. Or if the Hakata gods are with you, it may be a priceless heirloom.
A quirky piece of trivia ;
There is a funeral mass (Ningyo Kuyo) for used dolls held annually in the compound of Kiyomizu Kannondo Temple in Ueno Park. Japanese people often humanize their dolls. When they are not able to keep them any longer, they bring these dolls to this temple for a funeral mass for them. After a religious ritual, those dolls are cremated from 2 pm to 4 pm on this day.
A tip (if so inclined);
Question: Where can I find information on and the value of Japanese Hakata Urasaki dolls made in Fukuoka, Japan? I'm especially interested in the doll named "The First Letter." - Bill Adkison, Houston, Texas
Answer: To find out anything you wish to know about Japanese dolls, or to check out the value or history of a particular example, send a sharp color photo of the doll, or what you wish to know about it, to Japanese doll expert Michael Ayervais, 235 E. 57th St., New York, NY 10022. For information or a free verbal appraisal, or if you wish to buy or sell a quality Japanese doll, enclose your phone number and the time and days you can be reached

 

A Match: However the details are limited on the link 'https://www.flickr.com/photos/gabigreve2000/641856484/in/photostream/' with just the one photo, the name Hakata Ningyo Menpeki - and the photographer Gabi Greve, whom may be able to 'enlighten' you further

 

Thank you so very much, MKLH, for your most comprehensive responses to my plea for help...my sincere gratitude!

I shall pursue the several points you've offered!
I sense the birth of a new hobby...a bit like falling in love, but it's my wallet that's throbbing.

 

I wonder why this fellow so often looks a wee bit cross-eyed?

 

As a kid I was exposed to the idea, an' took it to heart, that a high proportion of Japanese people were so afflicted...an' also frequently buck-toothed.
These impressions may well have been rooted in anti-japanese rhetoric an' images during the war (WWII).
They may have been based on some reality, too. Perhaps Daruma was cross-eyed...or is he entirely mythical? Even if mythical, our prejudices wouldn't have shaped his image...the myth is pretty old, seems to me.
Perhaps it's a condition brought about through fasting an' deep, prolonged meditation.
Obviously, I am without clue...sorry!

 

I don't suppose it matters, except that I wouldn't want to offend him!