The rustic and charming kingfisher (kawasemi) is printed on cotton using a woodblock and stuffed with rice husks. The rice husks give the perfect amount of volume and firmness to bring the life-sized, expertly shaped and printed creature to life.
With its long beak and large head, the stuffed bird captures the characteristics of kingfisher well. It is a female, as the lower beak is red (the beaks of males are entirely black). A red tag on the string says kawasemi on one side and "hand printed woodblock by Shinkougei" on the other. It gives a nice accent to any bird lover's room; it also works as a Christmas tree ornament.
Specifications
Who Makes It
Founded in 1972 in Hida Takayama, Shinkougei is a craft workshop that specializes in creating various types of craftwork using woodblock print techniques.