Large vintage Japanese Kokeshi – Togatta style – signed Sato Shigekazu 1964-65 (佐藤重一) – 35.5cm

📐 Features:

Origin: Japan, Aone Onsen 青根温泉, Miyagi Prefecture, discovered in Kanagawa Prefecture.
Era: Shōwa Era, 1964–1965.
Style: Togatta-kei (遠刈田系), Dentō kokeshi (伝統こけし).
Artisan: Sato Shigekazu 佐藤重一 at 28 years old (born 1936).
Material: Hand-painted turned wood, natural finish.
Height: 35.5 cm.
Motifs: Kasane giku 重ね菊 (stacked chrysanthemums), black and grey.
Signature: Calligraphy in black ink under the base: "Aone Shigekazu – 28 years old" 青根　重一作　二十八才. 
Condition: Exceptional condition for its age (over 60 years old), no notable defects.

The Artisan: Sato Shigekazu 佐藤重一 (1936–)

Born on September 7, 1936, in Aone (Miyagi Prefecture), Sato Shigekazu is the eldest son of Mitsugu Sato, a woodturner and souvenir maker in Aone Onsen. He trained in turning with his father from 1955 and began producing traditional kokeshi while continuing his studies, until he graduated from Togatta College in 1957.

After his father's death in 1963, he took over the family shop in Aone Onsen and continued making kokeshi. This piece, signed "Aone Shigekazu – 28 years old", can be precisely dated to 1964–1965, making it an early work produced at the very beginning of his independent activity. It is now over 60 years old.

🎎 Aesthetic Details:

This large Togatta kokeshi features a peaceful face with half-closed eyes, finely drawn in the Aone tradition. The black hair, sober and balanced, frames a soft and serene expression.

The slender cylindrical body is decorated vertically with kasane giku motifs, superimposed chrysanthemums painted in black and grey. The contrast between the light, patinated wood and the dark pigments gives the whole a sober and very legible elegance.

🦝 We love:

A magnificent kokeshi, over 60 years old, perfectly preserved! Its grey and black style is superb! Its condition is rare for its age.

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