Vintage Japanese Sosaku Kokeshi entitled: “Sansa Shigure | Winter Drizzle” by Takahashi, Tatsuro
Dimension: 14-0”h
This exceptionally large Kokeshi is categorized as Sosaku, the foundation of the doll is inspired by the traditional Tougatta style in which the head follows the Tougatta family styling with a relatively large head with a clean and simplified body made of dogwood, (mizuki). The artist incorporates a stylized black accented hair, side hair fringes, with a unusual tuft of hair on the back of the head cascading down the back. This long tuft of hair represents a very important Shinto concept of “purity”.
There are accents on the eyebrows and expressive eyes, a teardrop nose, and expressive red lips. This Kokeshi depict a famous Heian Period court song about waiting for Spring. The body is decorated with bamboo and sparrows and accompanies a beautifully-written poem. From the earliest stages of Japanese history, poetry and song have been very important, and the distinction between the two is not clear. What is clear is that poetry is almost always imagined as being recited aloud. Poetry and music is the theme of this beautifully rendered figure.
This doll is one of the most unusual and has a Famous Heian Folk Song in script on the body of the doll:
“The clouds are gone and sparrows
are telling each other tales”.
NOTE: For more information on this artist go to our Browse & Learn section, https://mingeiarts.com/collections/artisan-woodworker-takahashi-tatsuro,affording you details about this artist. Also published in the latest book entitled: Sosaku Kokeshi: Celebrating the Major Artists of the Creative Movement.
Condition: Excellent condition for the piece is perfect, with no chipping, missing elements or loss of artwork/color which is beautifully defined. It retains a beautiful finish, with its original craftsmanship preserved. Museum-quality: meeting the standards of the collector of Shouzan’s kokeshi.
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Artisan | Woodworker: Takahashi, Tatsuro
[no-bio]Collector's note – descriptive qualities, standard characteristics & ornamentation styles:
Known for his exquisite dolls depicting famous poems, Tatsuro’s dolls are highly coveted by collectors. These three Kokeshi entitled, “Sansa Shigure | Winter Drizzle”, depict a famous Heian Period court song about waiting for Spring. The bodies are decorated with bamboo and sparrows and accompany the beautiful writing of the poems. From the earliest stages of Japanese history, poetry and song have been very important, and any distinction between the two is not clear. What is clear is that poetry is almost always imagined as being recited aloud. Poetry and music are the theme of these beautifully rendered figures.
The Haiku reads:
“The clouds are gone and
sparrows
are telling each other tales”.
Artist's signature:
