Murai Koji (3 results)

Condition: Fine. Size: A4 size. 308 pages Number of books: 1 book.

Condition: Fine. Number of pages: 358p Size: 22cm Number of books: 1 book.

Condition: Very Good. A whimsical circus-inspired music box toy, which when you open the drawer at its base, plays a tune as the clown with the shadow box bobs up and down cheerfully, his body movements controlled by string like a marionette. The item bears the printed signature of Koji Murai, a Japanese artist born in 1941 who became fascinated with and inspired by clowns, and he created numerous other toys and tchotschkes relating to clowns and the circus. There is now a clown museum founded by Murai and bearing his name. The box is 20.5 cm tall, 13.5 cm wide, and 6.5 cm deep. The paper pastedown on the sides and the perimeter of the front, has harlequin diamonds in the spirit, we would say, of clowns, and the whole contraption is a visual delight, as well as an aural one when one plays the music. The winder is on the plain back of the box, as one would expect. The paper pastedown is scratched and rubbed in places but remains most appealing. The music element is fully functional. The clown and the background under the glass looks pristine to us.…