Vintage Sosaku Kokeshi entitled: “Aki take | Red Bamboo” by Sato, Kouson
Dimensions: 22-1/2 ’h
Kouson-san worked out of her studio in Fukushima-ken, Kuwaori-machi. Sato-san is one of the few female, creative Kokeshi makers recognized as an accomplished Master of woodworking art. This was in the heart of the 2011 earthquake and tsunami devastation area of Fukushima Prefecture. She retired soon after.
Many Japanese believe Kokeshi has spiritual significance as related to nature and children. This impressive lathe-turned Birch, (Kabanoki), Kokeshi is beautifully hand-painted, with bamboo in Vemillion,(opaque, orangish red pigment), as the motif. Bamboo has always been a symbol of prosperity in Japan. For years, people were told to run into the bamboo groves in the event of an earthquake, because the bamboo’s strong root structure would hold the earth together. Images of bamboo are also symbolic of purity and innocence and are an auspicious symbol of long life and vitality.
Her sumi-e’ brushwork on the body is exceptionally painterly, and the details incorporate a simulation of the bamboo ‘node’, seen in its natural state. The head of this doll sits on top of a tapered neck and shows a traditional influence with the black bangs, side hair fringes, and a tiny expressive mouth. On top of the head is a traditional red bow. The artist signed the doll on the bottom.
The piece was published in the 2022 publication of Sosaku Kokeshi: Celebrating the Major Artists of the Creative Movement. For more information on this artist go to the following link: https://mingeiarts.com/collections/artisan-woodworker-sato-kouson-a-k-a-komura.
Condition: Superb in lathe turning, painting, and size, for it is outstandingly excellent, impressive, and beautiful. There are no chips, cracks, breaks, missing pieces or restoration, and it retains its original details and finish. The piece meets all the standards of the vintage collectible Sosaku Kokeshi by Sato, Kouson (A.K.A. Komora).
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Artisan | Woodworker: Sato, Kouson (A.K.A. Kimura)
Biographical History:
One of the few female creative Kokeshi makers recognized as an accomplished artist, Kouson worked from her studio in Fukushima, in the heart of the devastating area of the 2011 earthquake and tsunami. There is little biographical data on Kouson, but 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.
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:
Kouson-san had a daring approach to her painting style and was not afraid to make very large and expressive dolls. Her dolls are easily recognized by wonderfully soft and gentle faces, with the bodies’ artwork ranging from simple but elegant sumi-e’ brush strokes to beautifully painted autumn leaves, camellia, (winter rose), or the chrysanthemum, (Kikumon, as related to the Imperial Seal of Japan) and bamboo. She occasionally created Zodiac characters that are quite rare! Not afraid to create very large dolls, her work distances itself from other female artists in the creative genre with her bold approach. She also incorporated “Chatter Work” into the body of some dolls to create a wonderful contrast in texture.