Master MAMORU TSUTA Kokeshi, Yajiro School, Signed, Japan 1970

Description: Thank you for looking. Please visit my other listings of contemporary and antique Japanese art. Master Mamoru Tsuta (a.k.a. Tsutae) 蔦衛(1928 - 2009) Yajiro School, Miyagi prefecture, Japan. Signed. 1970. This vintage kokeshi is an example of Tsutae's work inspired by the style of his father Master Sakuzo Tsuto. The doll has a "sweet" facial expression - fashions acorn shaped eyes and a short, round nose - and has a rustic feel, reminding of prewar kokeshi styles. The kimono is decorated with a chrysanthemum stack. This kokeshi was made in 1970 and is in good vintage condition. Height: 8.5 inches Weight: 0.5 lbs (204 g) Thanks to its authentic, prewar look, this figurine will be an eye-catching art accent in your home. Mamoru Tsuta Mamoru Tsuta (professional nickname Tsutae) was born on November 10, 1928. In April 1934 he was adopted by his uncle Sakuzo Tsuta, a Yagiro kokeshi maker at Onogawa Onsen, Yamagata Prefecture. After graduating from elementary school in March 1943, Mamoru trained in woodworking under Sakuzo, making tops and kokeshi dolls. In 1944, he joined the Maizuru Marine Corps of the Imperial Japanese Navy, and in September 1945 was demobilized and returned home. After the war, he ran the Tsutaya souvenir shop with Sakuzo, while also making kokeshi dolls. Sakuzo's eldest son, Fumio, was born when Sakuzo was over 50 years old, and Mamoru taught Fumio woodworking techniques. After Sakuzo's death in 1957, Mamoru switched from the traditional mechanical rotating wheel to a powered one, a big step towards making the work easier. Until the late 1950s, the heads of his dolls were black and the body patterns were Togatta-style layered chrysanthemums and gradated buttons, inheriting the patterns of Sakuzo. In his later years, he changed the dolls’ eyes from acorn type to smiling type. After 1967, many of the pieces were made by different woodworkers, with berets on the heads made with multi-colored wheel lines, and body patterns of horizontal chrysanthemums, rising chrysanthemums, and other unique patterns. Around 1973, Mamoru built a wooden toy factory. Around this time, he hired Sajibei Tsuchiya a wood craftsman at the factory. Mamoru continued to make kokeshi dolls intermittently, in between the management of Tsutaya Product Shop. From around 1983, he also taught Sajibei how to paint and color Kokeshi dolls. Around 1998, Tsutae became ill; he tried to recuperate, but he passed away on February 21, 2009, aged 82. Yajiro Kokeshi School The creators of these dolls hail from the small farming village of Yajiro-machi nested between two tall montains near Kamasaki Onsen in Miyagi Prefecture. The kiji-shi (woodcraftsmen) divided their time between farming and woodcraft. Those who made kokeshi in their spare time sent their wives to the nearby Kamasaki Onsen to sell their work to tourist shops and through onsens. Yajiro dolls are some of the most brightly painted of the traditional kokeshi. Utilizing a veritable rainbow of colors, from the usual red and black to green, yellow, and even blue and purple, they are available in probably the widest range of shapes. The upper body usually has a hand-painted collar with horizontal stripes encircling the body, as in the Rokuro moyo (circle-painted) style, and vertical stripes running below the waist to the base of the doll. However, Yajiro dolls can also be found with a series of chrysanthemum flowers running down the front of the body, or a branch of plum blossoms as the only decoration. Some, also have a painted beret-like feature or a bun on their heads, similarly painted with a red center spot. Less common are Yajirou that have conical hats known as Suge-Gasa. Typical Yajiro kokeshi have one-lid or double-lid eyes and a cat or pick shaped nose. Yajirou kokeshi have been made from cherry wood, camellia, and maple, but the preferred wood is white dogwood (mazuki). For shipping outside Continental US, please inquire. K370

Price: 34 USD

Location: New York, New York

End Time: 2025-01-13T18:41:00.000Z

Shipping Cost: 9.95 USD