Vintage Sosaku Kokeshi entitled: ”Jinja Sanpai | Visiting the Shrine” by Ishihara, Hideo
Dimensions: 10-0”h
Japanese citizens of all ages visit Shrines during special events such as New Years, Setsubun, Shichigosan, and other festivals.
Ishihara-san’s dolls are based on many motifs, both found in nature and in textile design. He obviously loves portraying both young and old characters with differing hairstyles, (traditional and 1950-60s era). He illustrates numerous kimono styles in both lathe-turned and painted form, and utilizes simple graphic treatment to emphasize the strong character of his dolls.
The design of this Kokeshi was based on holiday/shrine events and represents a young woman making her visit in hopes of having good fortune for the upcoming year. The beautifully detailed and carved figure exhibits a rather rebellious double “Mage-Bob” hair design, (The hair is typically cut at medium length and straight around the head at approximately jaw level with bangs). Additionally unique is the large hat she is carrying, which is more aesthetic than functional because of the hair design. The art of decorating both kimono and under-garments grew in popularity during the Edo period (1603-1868). Here is shown the decorative treatment on her under-kimono has white daisies in a field on a simulated embroidered on red silk. The piece has Ishihara’s red impressed stamp on the bottom.
Condition: Very good original condition, with some mottling of the original enameled surface of the hair treatment. This piece is rare because of the uniqueness and subject matter of the doll.
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Artisan | Woodworker: Ishihara, Hideo | 1925 - 1999
Origin:
Ishihara-san, born in Tokyo in 1925 was a highly influential Sosaku Kokeshi artist and began his career by making Traditional Narugo dolls in 1957. His grandfather was the famous artist Onuma Iwatao, of Narugo Onsen, Miyagi, and creator of the "Naruko Kokeshi". After graduating 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 sixty awards, including the highest honor, the Prime Minister’s Award. He was introduced to the twenty-three countries in Europe and America by NHK. He has sponsored 30 exhibitions in Japan including those at Matsuzakaya Nagoya and Ginza, and four exhibitions in overseas countries. He was one of the founders of the Nippon Kokeshi Artistic Handicraft Association.
Collector's note – descriptive qualities, standard characteristics & ornamentation styles:
Ishihara-san’s dolls are based on many motifs found in nature and 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 that have both the ‘one-stroke eye’, (Hitofude-me), as well as a variation of traditional doll eye treatments.
Artist's signature:
