Vintage Sosaku Kokeshi entitled: “Yuki Michi | Snowy Road” by Shouzan, Shido (1932-1995)
Dimensions: 14-1/2”h
Master Shido Shouzan was born in Oita prefecture in 1932. He was one of the first kokeshi artists to use a variety of woods in his creations, including Mulberry and persimmon, and later introduced Keyaki, (Zelkova), and Enju, (pagoda tree) for doll making. Living in Yonezawa City, he was influenced by the snowy winters, and this motif is very prominent in his works in the form of maidens wearing a Traditional blanket wrap referred to as a “Kakumaki”. This is a winter shoulder shawl which used throughout the Northern part of Japan to throw on quickly to keep a body warm on short outings. As with most of his creations, he names his works after completing them to define the piece.
Shown is an exceptionally large and heavy doll of a young girl wearing a “Kakumaki”, that is quite different from most other depictions of this type of Kokeshi. Here, the young girl is peering out of a 1-1/2” x 2-1/2” opening, (this explains why the larger head had to be dropped into the outer shell), as she traverses through the falling snow. Her face incorporates elongated slanting eyes and a drilled nose. The beautifully formed head is separately carved and attached with a dowel to a Beechwood interior base and then attached to the lathe-turned decorative finished Persimmon wood that has been lathed separately, and slipped over the inner core. This is visible because of the matting wood cap on the head of the doll. Finally, an elongated dowel attached both pieces to create a secure union of the elements. A complex process, but necessary for this oversized form.
The doll, which is left natural to accentuate the natural graining of the wood, is finally coated with a natural candle wax, called ‘Rōsoku no rō’. Signed 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-shido-shozan-1932-1995.
Condition: Excellent, lathe-turned creation and size, for it is outstanding, impressive, and beautiful. No chips, cracks, breaks, missing pieces, or restoration, 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:
