Artisan | Woodworker: Takahashi, Tatsuro

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:

Known for his exquisite dolls depicting famous poems, Tatsuro’s dolls are highly coveted by collectors. These three Kokeshi entitled, “Sansa Shigure | Winter Drizzle”, depict a famous Heian Period court song about waiting for Spring. The bodies are decorated with bamboo and sparrows and accompany the beautiful writing of the poems. From the earliest stages of Japanese history, poetry and song have been very important, and any distinction between the two is not clear. What is clear is that poetry is almost always imagined as being recited aloud. Poetry and music are the theme of these beautifully rendered figures.

The Haiku reads:

“The clouds are gone and
sparrows
are telling each other tales”.

Artist's signature: