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What makes this creative kokeshi special
The up close look and feel
The incised flowers on her kimono are the first thing to notice at close range. The lacquer has been cut away to expose the natural wood beneath, so the chrysanthemum petals sit in shallow relief, warm and pale against the orange-red ground.
The fan she holds is painted in ink on bare wood, the scene loose and unhurried. Her hair is rendered in fine vertical brushstrokes rather than a flat painted mass, giving it a sense of texture and movement. She is light in the hand, balanced, the wood dry and smooth with age.
Charming details
Holding an object is not part of the traditional kokeshi vocabulary. It was the sōsaku makers of the postwar decades who introduced it, using what a figure carries to give her a story.
The fan became one of the most favored choices because it allowed a second surface for painting, a small landscape within the figure. On this piece that landscape is individual: no two Kojo fan kokeshi carry the same scene. The one she holds was painted by hand, once, for this specific figure.
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Made by Tanaka Kojo (田中晃常)
He runs his workshop in Yoshioka, Gunma Prefecture, a practice he established in 1968.
He has won multiple prizes at the All Japan Kokeshi Contest and the Modern Kokeshi Contest, and he is known specifically in the sōsaku world for two things: figures that carry or hold objects, and a technique of incising decoration directly into the lacquered surface so the natural wood grain shows through. Both are present in this piece.
Signed with his hanko on the base.
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Gunma Prefecture, Japan.
Shōwa period, ca. 1960s to 1970s.
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Height: approx. 15.5 cm
Weight: approx. 163 gr
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Good vintage condition. The wood has developed a warm, even patina.
Painted details including the fan landscape and facial features remain clear and vibrant.
No cracks, chips or repairs observed.
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Keep away from direct sunlight and dry heat sources.
Clean with a soft dry cloth only.
Water and damp cloths can lift the paint and cause the wood to swell, particularly on older lacquered surfaces.
If the piece stands near a radiator in winter, move it, as rapid drying causes older wood to crack.
*Decorative items such as the whisk are for styling
and scale purposes only and not included in the sale
The first thing you notice is the hair: dark chestnut wood turned over a pale cream body, the two tones meeting in a clean line. Below it, red and white ume blossoms move across the body with the ease of a maker who has painted this hundreds of times.
She is small enough to hold in one hand and considered enough to keep looking at.
Tanaka Kōjō (田中晃常) made sōsaku kokeshi in Gunma during the Shōwa period, and his "Haru no Yume" series, Dream of Spring, is among his most recognised work.
The ume blossom motif was not a decorative choice: it is the first flower of the Japanese year, blooming before the cold has left, and the symbol of the tea ceremony season's opening. He made this kokeshi to live beside the tea bowl, not apart from it.
Other Tanaka Kōjō kokeshi available:
Meet our other kokeshi
Questions before you buy?
Since my items are one-of-a-kind pieces, I want to ensure they reach you perfectly.
Questions about the history or condition?
Need a custom shipping quote or shipping outside the EU?
Prefer to see more detailed photos or a video?
Reach out to me directly. I'm here to help you find the perfect piece for your home.
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