Tsuchiyu kokeshi by Abe Ichirō, 36 cm, black and purple banding, signed, Shōwa period ca. 1970s

Name: Tsuchiyu kokeshi Abe Ichiro large signed purple Showa | KAIKO&CO
Brand: KAIKO&CO
Price: 190.0 EUR
Availability: InStock

€190.00

The banding on a standard Tsuchiyu body runs in red, black and natural wood. This doll adds a fourth color: discrete purple bands sit alongside the red, painted in the same lathe technique but in a different pigment. It is not a common choice in the Tsuchiyu tradition and it gives this particular piece a quieter, cooler register than the typical warm red. Small decisions in the color palette are one of the ways a maker like Ichirō marked individual pieces within the constraints of a traditional style.

Abe Ichirō (阿部一郎, 1925 to 2000) trained under his father Abe Shinjirō, one of the central figures of the Tsuchiyu lineage in Fukushima Prefecture, and spent his career both making kokeshi and passing the woodturning tradition to the next generation. The rokuro-moyo pattern, painted while the wood spins on the lathe, is one of the defining marks of the Tsuchiyu style. On this piece the color has held particularly well.

The head turns and produces a soft squeak when rotated. In Japanese this is called the cry of a child, and it is one of the quiet surprises of traditional Tsuchiyu kokeshi.

What makes this kokeshi special

The look and feel up close

The upper section of the body carries broad black bands that anchor the neck, denser and more graphic than the finer lines lower down. Below that the rokuro-moyo runs in alternating red, natural wood and purple.

The surface is smooth and slightly waxy, the lacquer finish thin enough that the grain of the wood shows through. In hand the doll is solid and well-balanced. The head turns with the quiet precision of well-fitted turned wood, snug but free.

Charming details

Most Tsuchiyu makers use a small dot or a minimal horizontal mark for the nose, keeping the face as simple as possible within the tradition's constraints. Ichirō's signature is a single longer vertical brushstroke, applied while the head is still on the lathe: fine, slightly tapered, placed precisely between the eyes. It is easy to miss at a distance but once you see it up close it becomes the face. Collectors who know his work look for it first.

- Made by Abe Ichirō (阿部一郎, 1925 to 2000).
- Tsuchiyu system, Matsunoya lineage.
- Later taught woodturning to Abe Katsuhide and Abe Toshimasa, continuing the Tsuchiyu transmission.
- Signed: yes, on the base. Original studio sticker present on base.
- Traditional Tsuchiyu style (土湯系伝統こけし): hand-turned wood, lathe-painted rokuro-moyo banding, separately turned and fitted head.
- Tsuchiyu Onsen, Fukushima Prefecture, Japan.
- Shōwa period, ca. 1970s.
- Height: 36 cm (14.2 inches)
- Weight: 620 grams
- Very nice vintage condition. No dents, cracks, or repairs.
- Minor surface wear consistent with age.
- The purple bands are lighter due to holding the doll. As you can turn her head, you can keep the lighter part on her back and enjoy the vivid purple.
- Keep away from direct sunlight and heat sources, both of which can cause the wood to dry out and crack over time.
- Do not use water or cleaning products on the painted surface.
- Dust with a dry soft cloth.
- The rotating head joint requires no maintenance but should not be forced.