Vintage Sosaku Kokeshi Entitled, “Winter Camellia | Kantsubaki ” by Sato Kouson (A.K.A. Komura)
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Dimensions: 9-1/2”h
Sato-san’s Kokeshi are recognized by their wonderfully soft and gentle faces, with painterly bodies’ artwork. Not afraid to create varying size dolls, her work distances itself from other female artists in the creative genre with her bold graphic approach. The slanted head and wonderfully defined face incorporates red bows on each side of the head, with a simple hairline with bangs in black and gray. The front of the Kimono shows a wonderful balance of sumi-e’ brush strokes and beautifully painted camellia, (winter rose), flowers that are both open and in bud form, along with variegated green leaves. The Japanese Camellia is an evergreen loved by the Japanese, and a favorite subject by Sato-san. The piece is signed on the bottom.
Condition: Excellent, original condition, with no fading or loss of color and consistent with age. The piece meets all the standards of collectible Folk Art.
NOTE: As collectors, we felt it was most important to represent all Sosaku Kokeshi artists, and particularly a female, and whether or not the artist has a written account of his or her life. Her dolls show the diversity of this cultural specialization, and the creative work produced by this artist.
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: Sato, Kouson (A.K.A. Kimura)
Biographical History:
One of the few female creative Kokeshi makers recognized as an accomplished artist, Kouson worked from her studio in Fukushima, in the heart of the devastating area of the 2011 earthquake and tsunami. There is little biographical data on Kouson, but as collectors, we felt it was most important to represent all Sosaku Kokeshi artists, whether or not each artist has a written account of his/her life. We show the diversity of cultural values and the creative work produced by a multitude of artists. As a valued customer, Kokeshi collector noted, “Kokeshi collecting is a personal journey in this everlasting realm of Japanese esthetics”. DF
In researching old writings through articles and books that remain, it is evident that the Kokeshi Craftsperson not only created beautiful forms as toys, but also kept alive cultural values, customs, and fashion through the extensive representations of Kokeshi dolls. The beauty is in the doll and not the signatures, for most masters never signed their dolls. Later they named the dolls, but only when Westerners insisted on signatures because they did not know the artists, so the carvers began to sign their works, for the carvers wanted to promote sales to make a living, during the seasons that did not provide an environment to continue their otherwise daily work.
Collector's note – descriptive qualities, standard characteristics & ornamentation styles:
Kouson-san had a daring approach to her painting style and was not afraid to make very large and expressive dolls. Her dolls are easily recognized by wonderfully soft and gentle faces, with the bodies’ artwork ranging from simple but elegant sumi-e’ brush strokes to beautifully painted autumn leaves, camellia, (winter rose), or the chrysanthemum, (Kikumon, as related to the Imperial Seal of Japan) and bamboo. She occasionally created Zodiac characters that are quite rare! Not afraid to create very large dolls, her work distances itself from other female artists in the creative genre with her bold approach. She also incorporated “Chatter Work” into the body of some dolls to create a wonderful contrast in texture.