Artisan | Woodworker: Horigome, Yukio

Origin: No Biography

Historically, the Japanese have been a very modest people. Japanese artists, in particular, felt their work spoke for them, and so for centuries, creative efforts by many artists, with the exception of woodblock prints, were unsigned, yet were easily recognized by the public through a specific style and the artists’ unique personalities. As collectors we felt it was most important to represent all Traditional and Sosaku Kokeshi, whether or not the artist has been identified, their seal, or artistic signature translated, or a written account of this artist’s life. Each show the diversity of this cultural specialization and the creative work produced by this artist.

Collector's note – Descriptive qualities/standard characteristics/ornamentation styles:

This 16-1/2”h Kokeshi entitled, “Iwate Yuki-onna | Snow Woman”, incorporates both a beautiful drawing of a young lady traversing through the snow, and an accompanying song about the long, hard winter. The following song is recalled:

“Snow and hail falling thickly,
falling steadily and piling up,
they keep falling nonstop,
a happy dog is running around 
the yard joyously,
the cat is sleeping by the stove.”  

Artist's Signature: