Couple Of Kokeshi - Snow Mountain - By Nagatoshi -1960-80 - D3

Varnished wood - some wear. Takahashi Nagatoshi.
Active in Ichinoseki (Iwa Prefecture) 1950s-1980s
Known for his "Snow Mountain" model, which evokes skin tanned by light reflected off the snow.
The doll is stripped down, with a glossy finish so that the viewer can be reflected in it. The artistic inspiration comes from a poem:
"Snowflakes are celestial flowers, pale blossoms of the clouds, they tan our bodies, and fade on earth."
- The inhabitants of this region burn charcoal during the winter and from spring to autumn. The snow dolls recall the faces of peasants, red-black and burned by the reflection of light on the snow. They are made of wild cherry.
The factory was called "Takato Snow Mountain."

-----About kokeshis; they appeared in the 1820s-40s (end of the Edo era). Originally, they were made from scraps of wood by craftsmen and peasants and sold to the people of the city. 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). They are, modesty, discretion, femininity, feminine ideal. Their bun is an evocation of Buddha. A detailed explanatory note on the art of kokeshis, and on the craftsman will be given to the purchaser.