Vintage Sosaku Kokeshi entitled “Sensaina hana | Subtle Flowers” by Ishihara, Hideo (1925-1999)
Dimensions: 19-1/2” h
This is the largest of the Kokeshi made by Ishihara-san. It is an extremely tall and elegant doll, and because of its height, this lathe-turned masterpiece was made in two sections, (for both the turning, and from the same piece of wood to make it easy to be transported within Japan). Its ornamentation consists of simple wide claret color bands of painted sections in a meticulous method known as ‘Rokoru Moyo’. The wood grain in this doll is spectacular and combines very well with the red bands and detailed decoration, with subtle flowers interspersed throughout the lower portion of the doll. It was by complementing light painting, and natural wood patterns. The face has ‘one-stroke eyes’, (Hitofude-me), with a black “bob” hairstyle covering the entire head and three-quarters of the face. Ishihara’s dolls often have a minimalist, design and are rare finds. The piece shows a beautiful script signature of the artist on the bottom of the doll.
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-ishihara-hideo-1925-1999.
Condition: Excellent, lathe-turned creation. A tactile experience, for it is outstanding, excellent, impressive, and beautiful. 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 Ishihara, Hideo.
Return Policy
Our antique/vintage pieces are identified/described and professionally photographed, and considered, “as is”, therefore all sales are final. Read our full refund and return policy.
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:
