Master KAZUE ABE Kokeshi, TSUCHIYU School, Signed, Japan

Description: Thank you for looking. Please visit my other listings of contemporary and antique Japanese art. Master Kazue Abe 阿部計英(1937-2017), Tsuchiyu School, Fukushima Pref., Japan. Circa 1980s.This gorgeous, extra-large figurine is an excellent representation of the Tsuchiyu style. Made by Kazue Abe, a highly regarded Master who affirmed the Tsuchiyu tradition for several decades, it reflects his individual script and is distinguished by delicate, thin lines and the masterful use of rokuro moyo circular painting technique. This kokeshi will be a noticeable art accent in the home decor.Height: 13.2 inches. Weight: 1.4 lbs (635 g). Kazue AbeBorn on February 8, 1937, Kazue Abe was the third son of Abe Hiroshi, a kokeshi maker in Tsuchiyu Onsen, Fukushima Prefecture. Kazue started working using the mechanical rotating wheel and made kokeshi dolls at about the age of 12, but it wasn't until 1955 that he formally trained in kokeshi making under his father Hiroshi and began selling kokeshi dolls under his own name. From around 1959, he began making molds based on his grandfather Kinzo's styles. Abe-san’s style is characterized by the thin circular lines, often employing the reversal technique. His pieces are lively and excellent. After his father Hiroshi passed away in 1984, he continued making kokeshi as a direct descendant of the old traditional Kamino Matsuya style. In his later years, his health deteriorated, and he stopped making kokeshi at the end of 2007, and was hospitalized in early 2008. After a long hospital stay, he recovered somewhat and made a few kokeshi dolls around the time of the Tsuchiyu Kokeshi Festival in 2016, but passed away on November 24, 2017, at the age of 81. As one of the very few new generation artists in the Tsuchiyu School, during his five-decade dedicated career, Abe-san made a major contribution to the survival of the tradition. Tsuchiyu SchoolTsuchiyu tradition originated in the 1840s at Tsuchiyu Onsen in Fukushima Prefecture, with the work of Sakuma Kamegoro, a woodworker.Tsuchiyu artists are famous for being the most accomplished in the circular style of painting, known as the rokuro moyo style. While this technique is present in other traditions, Tsuchiyu makers take it several steps further: they often either reverse the line at some point or zig-zag the lines periodically, adding dynamic energy to the design. Some dolls even have patterns of flowers between the lines.The Tsuchiyu artists typically utilize snap-on and squeeze-in techniques for attaching the heads, which are delicate techniques requiring advanced woodworking skills and high precision. Most have double lid eyes and round or long noses. The top of the head is typically completed with one or two black (occasionally purple or green) concentric circles, together with a red bow and a loop. The innermost circle of the head is usually colorless. For many decades, Tsuchiyu dolls targeted predominantly collectors, and their artistic quality is typically very high. For shipping outside of US, please inquire. K344

Price: 75 USD

Location: New York, New York

End Time: 2025-01-28T17:47:06.000Z

Shipping Cost: 18.95 USD