Tamura Noboru | のぶろ田村

1950 Shibukawa City, Gunma Prefecture

🧐 Note on Name Signature Nuance

AKA Tamura Crafts田村工芸品

Tamura Chie a pseudonym for Tamura Noboru

About👤

Tamura Noboru is a sōsaku Kokeshi artisan from the Mid-20th century (1901-2000). Works are often signed on the base and are known for beautiful chatter work patterns, floral motifs and expressive faces with uniquely double lidded brushed-on eyes. He stands out as a master of creative Kokeshi, blending traditional forms with strong emotional expression and masterful craftsmanship.

Although publicly available biographical details remain limited, Noboru-san’s legacy endures through his award-winning, signed dolls, highly prized by collectors and enthusiasts alike. In the 1994–1998 exhibition catalogue, he expressed a desire to create Kokeshi that would be accessible to the general public, citing the often prohibitively high prices of sōsaku Kokeshi. Despite the scarcity of personal records, his work is widely collected internationally and frequently appears on prominent auction platforms and specialty markets.

Awards🏅

1988 All Gunma Modern Kokeshi Competition, Minister of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries Award
1989 All Gunma Modern Kokeshi Competition; Commissioner of the Small and Medium Enterprise Agency Award
1996 All Gunma Modern Kokeshi Competition; Shibukawa Mayor Award
1997 All Japan Kokeshi Competition; Minister of International Trade and Industry Award
2003 All Japan Kokeshi Competition; Minister of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries Award

Other📑

Sources

Shibukawa City Board of Education, Lifelong Learning Division. (1998). Creative Kokeshi Doll Exhibition in Shibukawa City: 20th & 5th catalogue, 1994–1998 (Ishihara, Ed.). Shibukawa City & Shibukawa City Board of Education.
Shibukawa City & Shibukawa City Board of Education (2013). National Creative Kokeshi Art Exhibition in Shibukawa 20th anniversary commemorative magazine: Kokeshi Art, Lifelong Learning Division, Shibukawa City Board of Education.
Shibukawa City & Shibukawa City Board of Education. (2024). National Creative Kokeshi Art Exhibition in Shibukawa 30th anniversary commemorative magazine: Creative Kokeshi and its artists. Lifelong Learning Division, Shibukawa City Board of Education.