Description: Thank you for looking. Please visit my other listings of contemporary and antique Japanese art. Authentic Usaburo sosaku ("creative") kokeshi from Gunma Prefecture, Japan, with the official Usaburo stamp. Made in 1979 from the praised Zelkova wood, which is highly regarded in Japan for its symbolic spiritual meaning and as a beautiful material for woodcraft. Signed by the artist. Height: ~8.75 inches Head diameter: ~2.75 inches Weight: 9 oz (245 g) About Usaburo Kokeshi Usaburo is a highly regarded artist family from Japan's Gunma Prefecture, the top producing area of kokeshi in Japan. Kokeshi made in Gunma is called sosaku (or “creative” or "modern") kokeshi, and is differentiated from dento (“traditional”) kokeshi produced in the Tohoku district in northeastern Honshu. Creative kokeshi is characterized by freedom from the conventional shapes of traditional kokeshi with a round head. Sosaku kokeshi often depict little girls with bobbed hair. Usaburo Kokeshi has grown to become an important kokeshi art atelier in Japan famous for its artistic, stylish designs and the impeccable quality of its kokeshi. Usaburo Okamoto, the founder of Usaburo Kokeshi, was born in Shinto Village, Gunma Prefecture in 1917. After making handicrafts with artificial stones and metals, he started making kokeshi dolls in 1950. Soon, in addition to painting with a brush, which was the mainstream at the time, he created three-dimensional expression techniques, such as engraving and pottery painting, creating the prototype of Usaburo Kokeshi that continues to this day. The basic designs of kokeshi developed by Master Usaburo feature this bobbed hair and a plump round body. The simple lines of his kokeshi had the somewhat archaic beauty of the Orient. He devoted himself to research on how to prevent wood from cracking, and succeeded in incorporating wood that was considered unsuitable for processing into kokeshi dolls. Usaburo's representative work "Kan-Tsubaki", which features his favorite camellia flowers on Zelkova with beautiful wood grain, was given the honor of being purchased by Emperor Showa. Usaburo combines machine techniques, artistic handwork and symbolism to produce captivating, inspiring kokeshi characters. K140
Price: 29.5 USD
Location: New York, New York
End Time: 2024-11-09T04:40:20.000Z
Shipping Cost: 9.95 USD
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Item Specifics
All returns accepted: ReturnsNotAccepted
Provenance: Ownership History Not Available
Featured Refinements: Kokeshi Doll
Country/Region of Manufacture: Japan
Handmade: Yes
Culture: Japanese
