Sosaku Kokeshi Egg-Shaped Wooden Doll with Floral Design by Kato Tatsuo

This is a wooden sosaku (creative) kokeshi doll with a rounded, egg-shaped form decorated with a colorful floral design. The gentle curves of the body give it a distinctive silhouette characteristic of creative kokeshi.

Kato Tatsuo is a Japanese sosaku kokeshi (creative kokeshi) artisan born in 1940 in Maebashi City, Gunma Prefecture. He studied under Sekiguchi Sasaku and began producing sosaku kokeshi under his guidance. Kato is known for the distinctive curved forms seen throughout his works, achieved by offsetting the center when mounting wood on the lathe, unlike standard kokeshi production. In 1981 he received the Minister of Education Encouragement Award at the National Modern Kokeshi Exhibition for his work 'Kumo no Yukue', and he has won numerous other awards including from the Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry and the Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries. In 2011 he was honored as a 'Contemporary Master Craftsman' (Gendai no Meiko) by the Ministry of Health, Labour and Welfare, and he is a member of the Japan Kokeshi Craft Association, based in Shibukawa City, Gunma Prefecture.

• Material: Wood
• Shape: Egg-shaped
• Decoration: Floral design

Please refer to the photos for the item's current appearance and condition.