Vintage Japanese Sosaku Kokeshi entitled: “”Dojo | Young Lady” by Tanaka, Harumasa
Dimensions: 12-0”h
This beautiful and clean form of Kokeshi is by Tanaka-san beautifully illustrates the accomplished use of un-ornamented form to express his observation of young women of the period. The most unusual aspect is the uniform ‘Bob’ hair design style, which adds elegance to his interpretation of this doll. He created different sizes of this doll with the heads supported by a short and separate neck with the same motif which is the emphasis on the Japanese beauty ideals that favor small features and upswing eyes, with a small red dot for a nose, all perceived as being more attractive and welcoming because of the emphasis on a “V” shape elements. Dolls from this series were made from Birch wood. He completed a small number of very stylized and artistic forms during his time creating dolls. There is an inscription identifying the artist on the bottom of the doll along with a red stamp detailing the period/location where it was made. The doll was published in Sosaku Kokeshi: Celebrating the Major Artists of the Creative Movement, 2022 by Evans & Wolf.
Condition: Excellent, outstandingly, exceptional, and beautiful condition. No chips, cracks, breaks, missing pieces or restoration, and retains its original details and finish. The piece meets all the standards of the collectible Sosaku Kokeshi.
For additional information on the artist/family go to: https://mingeiarts.com/collections/artisan-woodworker-tanaka-harumasa
NOTE: This Kokeshi by Tanaka was published and cited as a Japanese competition winner for which a group of Sosaku Kokeshi that was introduced in the United States to the American public under the auspices of the Japan Society of New York, and hosted by JETRO (Japan External Trade Organization). The catalog entitled: Kokeshi Dolls From Japan,(Printed by DOBI Printing Co., Ltd. Japan), citing 232 Kokeshi, with selected designer photography, for which the image of the piece was featured on a page of the catalog with the artist/designer, name of the doll, (English and Japanese), and the size of the doll. This catalog is very rare historical documentation of the first Sosaku Kokeshi proudly recognized by the Japanese government (see the image associated with this listing).
Tanaka-san is acknowledged as a leading member of very artistic dolls during the Sosaku movement in the 1950s-60s and is a multiple award winner. He additionally was recognized with his creation of a Kokeshi known as Kantsubaki, (Winter Camellia). Additionally, his doll “Dojo”, Young Lady), won the Prime Minister’s Award in 1965 at the 12th Annual All Nippon Japan Kokeshi Competition.
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Artisan | Woodworker: Tanaka, Harumasa
Biographical History:
Tanaka-san is acknowledged as a leading member of the Sosaku movement in the 1950s-60s and is a multiple award winner. His doll “Dojo”, (Young Lady), won the Prime Minister’s Award in 1965 at the 12th Annual All Nippon Japan Kokeshi Competition. He additionally was recognized with his creation entitled: Kantsubaki, (Winter Camellia). There is little biographical data on Tanaka-san, but as researchers and collectors, we felt it was most important to represent all Sosaku Kokeshi artists, and whether or not the artist has a written account of his or her life. No dates of Tanaka-san birth or death have been recorded.
Collector's note – descriptive qualities, standard characteristics & ornamentation styles:
Tanaka beautifully illustrates the accomplished use of form, un-ornamented, and exceptionally painted surfaces. The artist uses wood to express feelings, related to the abstract treatment of the body. Modern-thinking young girls loved these abstract flamboyant designs in their garments to show that they had moved into a contemporary world which transformed their lives and connected them to the West. The most unusual aspect of course is the hair design style and ornaments, which is uniform and adds elegance to his interpretation of the figure. His abstract motifs are typically flowers, i.e., poppies and camellia in bold-colored lacquer. His most famous is the Kokeshi entitled: “Dojo or Young Lady”, left unadorned and relies solely on the carved form. The upswing eyes are extremely expressive with a simple red dot to express the nose and the hair treatment of this award-winning doll was always a uniform ‘Bob’ hairstyle. Dolls from this series were only made from Birch wood.
Several of his Kokeshi were published and cited as a Japanese competition winner introduced in the United States under the auspices of the Japan Society of New York. The exhibition was hosted by JETRO (Japan External Trade Organization). The catalog entitled: Kokeshi Dolls From Japan,(Printed by DOBI Printing Co., Ltd. Japan), citing 232 Kokeshi, for which the image of his works were featured with the artist/designer, name of the doll, (English and Japanese), and the size of the doll.