Appreciating the Evolution of Japanese Kokeshi & Toys
Welcome ようこそ
We are here to celebrate the fact that Japan, and its people, have always depended upon a cooperative learning environment in creative expression, and a co-existence between humans and the natural environment. This is the basis for the ‘craft’ of Kokeshi, as an element, (wood), never wasted. Many descendants of the ‘Traditional’ Kokeshi Families, joined by artists and crafts people, male and female, all over Japan, created infinitely different versions of Kokeshi, preserving history through imagined and real nostalgia, (natsukashisa), related to one’s environment. In retaining a standard cylindrical shape, providing a basic form, artists broadened the scope of the body decoration, colors, and unique woodworking techniques, which supported a creative approach and a renewed interest in the recycling of the forest’s bounty, thereby preserving history. MingeiArts, (Art of the People), celebrates this “High Craft” and the accomplishments of the Japanese woodworker.
We welcome domestic and international Kokeshi fans, and we thank you for visiting our site.
“Folk art stirs memories of place, affirms individual taste and identity, and a trace of life’s everlasting impressions”
eBook
A Collector's Guide: Traditional and Creative Kokeshi and Toys
After years and years of research and collecting, we are finally releasing this eBook! We are so proud to send this out into the world and hope that you share with us the joy that Kokeshi and Toys have brought to our lives.
NOTE: This is an eBook - after purchase you will receive a link to download the PDF file, which you can add to your tablet, phone or read on your computer. All rights reserved, please do not copy, or redistribute the file without permission.
ISBN: 978-1-4951-4155-3
Shop Vintage Sosaku Kokeshi
Vintage Japanese Toys
Artisan | Woodworker: Kano, Chiyomatsu (Kanou) | 1935-
Kano-san shows his ability to create and select a form that best interacts with the natural characteristics of the intrinsic beauty of wood, harmoniously blending the traditional and contemporary imagery.
