Artisan | Woodworker: Hosaka, Yukio | 1958-
Biographical History:
As collectors, we felt it was most important to represent all Sosaku Kokeshi artists, whether or not each artist has a written account of his/her life. We show the diversity of cultural values and the creative work produced by a multitude of artists. As a valued customer, Kokeshi collector noted, “Kokeshi collecting is a personal journey in this everlasting realm of Japanese esthetics”. DF
In researching old writings through articles and books that remain, it is evident that the Kokeshi Craftsperson not only created beautiful forms as toys, but also kept alive cultural values, customs, and fashion through the extensive representations of Kokeshi dolls. The beauty is in the doll and not the signatures, for most masters never signed their dolls. Later they named the dolls, but only when Westerners insisted on signatures because they did not know the artists, so the carvers began to sign their works, for the carvers wanted to promote sales to make a living, during the seasons that did not provide an environment to continue their otherwise daily work.
Other than the name of the Kokeshi artist and the book that was written entitled: Butterfly in the Wind by Rei Kimura, nothing is recorded about Hosaka-san and the date of her birth. The writer, who documented the life of Ms. Saito, who was born in 1841, and became a concubine of an Aid of Commodore Perry and a member of the first American Consul in Japan, there is little biographical information on this artist who created these beautiful figures.
Collector's note – descriptive qualities, standard characteristics & ornamentation styles:
These creative Kokeshi are always pictured as tall slender figures with tilted heads and Kansashi interwoven into their hair. All have beautifully colored kimonos exhibiting traditional motifs of flowers, bamboo leaves, pine trees, a fan, and the sea. All of Hosanna’s dolls were wrapped tightly in the upper portion of the kimono with a very tight lower half of the garment.
