Artisan | Woodworker: Yonamoto, Minoru | 1934-

Biographical History:

Yonamoto-san was born in Tougatta, Miyagi Prefecture, and apprenticed as a Traditional artist under Masters Sato, Kichinosuke, and Sato, Shoji. 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:

Yonamoto’s, Sosaku dolls show beautiful and sensitive turning with an emphasis on the combination of unpainted wood and unusual treatment of the bodies, with contrasting inserts or carved elements to define his dolls. Faces are extremely simple and expressive, with sumi-e’ ink details to define each character. His two famous pieces are entitled “Shimai” (Whispering Sisters), in which the heads are positioned as if they are speaking to one another. Their obi’s are also exceptional with carved grooving to define and give texture to the contrasting woods.