Vintage Sosaku Kokeshi entitled: “Odori | Movement” by Kano, Chiyomatsu
Dimensions: 6-3/4”h
This is a very rare doll, highly prized, and seldom seen on the market. Here the artist created a three-dimensional form that best interacts with the natural characteristics of the intrinsic beauty of wood, harmoniously blending traditional and contemporary imagery.
The doll has a simple facial expression utilizing a ‘one-stroke eye’,(Hitofude-me). In Japanese Kokeshi Art catalogs, the artist further defines this figure as “Budō no ko | Child of the Martial Arts”. The most interesting feature is the offset head that exhibits a Topknot (Bintsuke). He is wearing a traditional Chonmage haircut worn by boys/men with a short blunt fringe at the forehead, and straight hair cut around the skull. He is shown with a type of earmuff covering his ears, which is typically worn in the northern regions, and originally was a simple compressed cloth. Additionally, Chiyomatsu-san incorporates on the winter coat a random black Ikat-style motif defining the layers of the pattern throughout the overall garment. The piece is hand signed with a paper affixed on the bottom indicating the shop that specialized in his works.
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: Kano, Chiyomatsu (Kanou)
1935-
Biographical History:
Kano-san was born in 1935 and has died, but the year is unknown. He started making Sosaku dolls around 1953. He was a multi-prize-winning artist, including the prestigious Prime Minister’s Award at least twice. As researchers and collectors, we felt it was most important to represent all Sosaku Kokeshi artists whether or not the artist has a written account of his or her life. Each shows the diversity of this cultural specialization and the creative work produced by this artist.
Collector's note – descriptive qualities, standard characteristics & ornamentation styles:
Kano-san shows his ability to create and select a form that best interacts with the natural characteristics of the intrinsic beauty of wood, harmoniously blending the traditional and contemporary imagery. Most have simple facial expressions utilizing a ‘one-stroke eye’, (Hitofude-me). His works incorporate flowers in a multitude of styles celebrating the changing seasons throughout Japan. All of his works are based on the use of only a few woods such as Birch (Shirakaba) and Beech (Buna-zai) which he celebrates with refined carving and graphics. The most famous of his series of dolls featured children in Yukata /Ikat-style clothing or simple lines defining the layers of the clothing. Kano-san’s dolls are highly prized and seldom seen.
Explore & Learn More about Woodworker: Kano, Chiyomatsu (Kanou)