Artisan | Woodworker: Kikuchi, Shukou | 1950

Artisan | Woodworker: Kikuchi, Shukou | 1950

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.

Collector's note – descriptive qualities, standard characteristics & ornamentation styles:

These beautifully detailed and painted Kokeshi depict one of Japan’s many folk heroes, Ohara Shosuke, who lived in Aizu Wakamatsu City in Fukushima Prefecture. He has been immortalized in song as a great lover of sake. Typically, Shosuke-san is pictured wearing a brown and black striped Yukata and Haori with a small splash of red peeping out of his garment. He is always depicted with a wrapped head of white Tenugui, (plain cloth or rag), with blue polka-dots, and carrying his jug, which is decorated with calligraphy. His face is very simple, with a stern expression.

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