These suzuka deer were made by Yoshio Utsunomiya at his workshop in Uwajima, Ehime.

Utsunomiya followed in the footsteps of his father by making forms in washi papier-mâché that express the character of his town.

This could be of strong and friendly deer heads, or the cow demons known in local folklore.

The work taps into the tradition for ‘hariko’ paper models and toys. But ultimately the objects made at Yoshio Mingei (folk craft) are not defined by their purpose, but by the heart put into their creation.

These small versions of the deer that Utsunomiya makes, are bold eyed, and hand painted. Stags or doe, they have colour variations in their bells. They will hang neatly on the wall.

Each is a unique item of craft, with differences between them. They are around 5cm in their dimensions and weigh about 12g.