

Vintage Sosaku Kokeshi
Vintage Sosaku Kokeshi entitled: “Dojo | Young Girl” by Ishihara, Hideo (1925-1999)
Ishihara, Hideo
Age:1960s
Descriptive qualities& condition:
Dimensions: 12-0”h
Offered is an exceptionally large and heavy Kokeshi for which Ishihara-san apparently loves to portray differing hairstyles in both young and old characters, as you will see throughout the images in our Browse & Learn section on the artist. This particular doll is very simple, with an emphasis on the character of the wood, and minimal carving restricted to the treatment of the obi. He utilizes a sumi-e’ drawn face with a ‘one-stroke eye’, (Hitofude-me) and a very interesting positioning of the offset head covered with hair and a small indication of bangs falling over its forehead. The piece is named and signed by the artist on the bottom of the doll.
Condition: Excellent meaning that the piece retains its original craft/workmanship showing a wonderful-developed patina commensurate which suggests a degree of wear that corresponds to its vintage. It is void of damage, cracks, breakage, or repairs and meets all the standards of the collectible Sosaku Kokeshi.
Artisan | Woodworker: Ishihara, Hideo | 1925 - 1999
Origin:
Ishihara-san, a highly influential Sosaku Kokeshi artist, was born in Tokyo, and began his career by making Traditional Narugo dolls in 1957. His grandfather was the very famous artist Onuma Iwatao, of Narugo Onsen, Miyagi. After graduation from University, Ishihara-san was under medical care for more than ten years, during which time he studied painting. Upon recovering from his illness, he began making Sosaku Kokeshi, and in a ten- year period (1959-1969), he received more than 60 awards, including the highest honor, the Prime Minister’s Award.
Collector's note – descriptive qualities, standard characteristics & ornamentation styles:
Ishihara-san’s dolls are based on many motifs, both found in nature and in textile design. He loves portraying both young and old characters with differing hairstyles, (traditional and 1950s era). He illustrates numerous kimono styles in both painted form and carving, and utilizes simple graphic treatment to emphasize the strong character of his dolls, which bring out the true nature of the wood materials through manipulation of the turned and carved wood. His dolls are always finished in a simple wax coating. It is also not unusual to see him utilize sumi-e’ drawing of faces which have both the ‘one-stroke eye’, (Hitofude-me), as well as as a variation of traditional doll eye treatments.