Vintage Sosaku Kokeshi entitled: “Osone / Mai | Dancer” by Shouzan, Shido (1932-1995)
Dimensions: 15-1/4” h
Shouzan-san is considered by Kokeshi collectors and critics alike to be the most influential artist in the world of Sosaku Kokeshi doll-making. His dolls have won various awards since 1958, including the “Doll exhibition-retro Award”, and the Prime Minister’s Award. He served as a judge of the All Japan Kokeshi Contest from 1970-1976. Shouzan, as opposed to other Kokeshi craftspersons, published a book entitled: Kizin Kasho, citing examples of his award-winning Kokeshi. The Kokeshi, entitled: “Osono | Dancer”, sometimes known as Mai, is a different color version of the image in the award-winning book entitled: Kokeshi: Wooden Treasures of Japan, published in 2005.
This is an alternative version of the Kokeshi named Osone. The uniqueness focuses on the color and graphic details of the Obi, which has chrysanthemum petals in gold, over a background of purple, and the rust-colored undergarment. This is an exceptionally beautiful, elegant, tall, and slender doll made of Birchwood, (Kabanoki), bringing forth the best use of complex geometry to create these unique Japanese elements. This doll has a traditional black hairstyle with one different approach to the “Mage”, in that it appears almost like a hair ornament as opposed to a top knot. The doll has the artist’s impressed Honko on the bottom of the doll, which was used on forthcoming dolls with a graphic placed in a box.
The piece was published in the 2022 research publication entitled: Sosaku Kokeshi: Celebrating the Major Artists of the Creative Movement (https://mingeiarts.com/products/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-shido-shozan-1932-1995.
Condition: Superb lathe-turned creation and size, for it is outstanding, excellent, impressive, and beautiful. No chips, cracks, breaks, missing pieces, or restoration; is very stable, and retains its original details and finish. The piece meets all the standards of the vintage collectible Sosaku Kokeshi by Shouzan, Shido.
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Artisan | Woodworker: Shido, Shouzan | 1932-1995
Origin:
Shido-san is considered by Kokeshi collectors and critics alike to be arguably the most influential artist in the world of Sosaku Kokeshi doll making. Shido-san’s main focus was depicting unadorned Northern girls in the traditional “Mino”, or Snow Coat, but he also produced tall, thin dolls, which were sparsely decorated. His keen sense of design, minimal use of color, and simple elegant shapes set him apart from his peers, making him one of the most collectible artists emerging from the creative period of the ‘60s. He is a winner of the Prime Minister’s Award, among many other awards.
Collector's note – descriptive qualities, standard characteristics & ornamentation styles:
Shido-san loved studying the use of combining different types of wood to gain the desired effect and to give dimension to his pieces. He also enjoyed creating slender, tall dolls to support the fact that they resemble the tall, thin trees seen throughout Japan. He incorporated a repetitive textural pattern called ‘Harmonic Chatter work’ to enhance the natural qualities of the wood on many of his works.
Shido-san particularly enjoyed the textural qualities of ‘Chattering’ on the rain/snow coat, (Minomushi), which is a favorite theme, executed with minimal painted ornamentation, with an emphasis on the natural wood. In general, it is said the Japanese culture is one of modesty and humility. Occasionally we see different types of headdress, one of which he called a ‘Tsunokakushi’, which is a wide headresses or hood, which covered elaborate hairstyles. We are told that the Japanese people regulate their behavior and response by reading faces and the eyes of others. Here, as well as elsewhere, you will see many examples of different characteristics of the eye is expressions. His most famous doll was called “mai”, a dancer, which was an elegant and slender doll created in 1970. This doll exhibited traditional hair design with an emphasis on a brightly colored “obi” which brings forth the best use of complex geometry to create traditional Japanese clothing elements.
Shido-san was a prolific artist/woodworker of Kokeshi dolls. We additionally see unusual subjects focused on Zen Buddhism and figures of Daruma, (Bodhidharma) of which most were made in a “roly-poly” type figure seen throughout festivals in Japan.
Artist's Signature:
