Large Kokeshi By Takahashi Hisamune 1930 -2019 -kok193

Turned wood - Painted. Wear, shocks and traces of handling.
Born October 25, 1930, eldest son of a farmer - lived in Minamise, Akita Prefecture - He began training in sculpture around the age of 40 and opened a workshop in 1973. His workshop was on the edge of the fields that he continued to cultivate, while creating dolls. He is one of the rare craftsmen to have created dolls over one meter fifty in height. ----- ABOUT KOKESHI Kokeshi appeared in the 1820s-40s (end of the Edo era). Originally, they were made from scraps of wood by craftsmen and farmers and sold to people in the city. The oldest have a bowling pin shape and can have a movable head with red as the dominant color. They are originally made of wood (cherry, pear, maple). They were toys for little girls, or offered as a token of love or friendship; or symbolized the desire to have a healthy child. The doll comes from a Shinto communion with nature (forest / wood / landscape). Shinto places links between landscapes and feminine forms. They are, modesty, discretion, femininity, feminine ideal. Their bun is an evocation of Buddha. a detailed explanation on the art of kokeshis will be given to the purchaser.