RARE: Master ZENJI SATO Kokeshi Pair, TSUGARU School, Japan 1950s/60s- Large 14"

Description: Thank you for looking. Please visit my other listings of contemporary and antique Japanese art. Master Zenji Sato 佐藤善二 (1924-1985), Nukuyu, Aomori Prefecture, Japan. Circa the 1950s/60s.A rare example of Sato-san's early work competed with a mono-color sumi-e ink. A large, visible pair of kokeshi - the taller figurine is 14 inches in height and the smaller is 11.7 inches. Made of dense, heavy wood: 1.7 lbs and 1.0 lbs, respectively. Decorated with artful images of Camellia flowers. Due to the period these kokeshi were made by this highly regarded maker, this is a collectible item of high value.Zenji SatoZenji Sato (official name Zenni Sato) was born on May 14, 1925 into the family of electric power company employees in Morita Village, Aomori Prefecture. In 1944, he graduated from Aomori Prefectural Mokuzukuri Junior High School and in 1945 joined the naval forces. After being discharged, he returned to Morita Village, worked in agriculture, and even served as an agricultural cooperative officer. In August 1953, he moved to Kanazawa Ward, Yokohama City, and worked as a company employee. During that period, he learned woodworking techniques at Mitori and studied kokeshi making at Kanagawa Prefectural Civil Engineering and Crafts Guidance Center in Odawara, focusing on the sosaku style. In June 1955, he returned to Aomori and, through his father's introduction, formally studied woodworking and kokeshi making under Hidetaro Mori of Nukuyu, the important Tsugaru kokeshi craftsman. In 1958, Zenji became independent, set up a workshop, and started making kokeshi dolls under his own name. At first, he didn't sell very well, so he wrapped his kokeshi dolls in a furoshiki cloth and carried them on his back, visiting souvenir shops in front of Aomori Station and Asamushi Onsen, in an effort to expand his sales channels. He was also enthusiastic about promoting the local area and organized a "kokeshi class" as one of the activities at Kuroishi City Toei Junior High School, where he taught students how to make kokeshi dolls. Gradually, his works gained recognition and his talent earned high acclaim and following among collectors. Over years, Zenji trained a large number of disciples including Rohuchihide Abo, Toshiyuki Kojima, Kazumitsu Ichinohe, Junichi Sasamori, and Naoko Homma. He also tained his eldest son, Yoshiki Sato, in wood carving. Zenji was a sociable man with leadership skills, and played an active role in the local community. In July 1984, he was hospitalized with chest pains, and in October he was readmitted with heart failure. He recovered and was released, but died of a myocardial infarction on June 20, 1985, at the age of 61.Zenji's ealier works were in the style of Saito Kobei, a pre-war kokeshi craftsman, and he actively produced works with topknots on the head and peonies painted on the body. Most of his early works were done with a one-color sumi-e ink. He often drew legs on the bottom of the body, alongside his signature, as he felt it was a shame for kokeshi dolls to have no arms or legs. The Kobei style became Zenji's basic style. Starting in 1968, he added the Sato Itaro kokeshi type, and from around 1969, also produced a small built-in Tabei type. After the war, the Tsugaru tradition of kokeshi making was going through difficult times and went almost extinct. Hidetaro Mori – the craftsman whose works are now highly sought after by collectors - was the only craftsman continuing the old tradition in Nukuyu, but when Zenji Sato and Tetsunori Okusae became his disciples and started their own workshops, the craftsmanship finally revived. Zenji in particular was outgoing and proactive, and participated in events at department stores around the country, working to promote Tsugaru Kokeshi. He also trained many apprentices, and is an important craftsman who built the foundation for today's prosperity of Tsugaru Kokeshi. Tsugaru School of KokeshiThe youngest of the ten traditional kokeshi schools, Tsugaru tradition originated in the Aomori Prefecture in the region of the same name. These kokeshi were originally fabricated by Hidetaro Mori, a talented kokeshi artist at Nuruyu ("lukewarm") Onsen, in the city of Kuroishi, and are sometimes referred to as Nuruyu dolls. Dolls that have round chests, thin waists, and cone-shaped lower bodies on which human faces are painted will strike you as quite unusual and interesting. The hair is painted solid black, with brush strokes visible on the edges of the bangs and hair. One of the distinguishing features of this doll is that it often has hair in a bob or a chignon (topknot), without much decoration on the head. Body decoration as flowers - usually White Iris, Peony, or Camellia, looking quite realistic - or Daruma dominate, along with rokuro moyo stripes at the top, center, or bottom of the doll. As the Tsugaru style evolved, encouraged by the wild success of its leading artists with collectors, it has yielded a great deal of variety in the shape and pattern of the doll. K356

Price: 275 USD

Location: New York, New York

End Time: 2025-01-09T17:26:22.000Z

Shipping Cost: 24.75 USD