{"product_id":"kokeshi-naruko-kojima-chojiro-hishigiku-21cm","title":"Vintage Japanese Kokeshi - Naruko style chrysanthemums – signed Kojima Chōjirō (小島長治郎) – 21 cm","description":"\u003ch3 data-start=\"479\" data-end=\"876\"\u003e📐 \u003cstrong data-start=\"482\" data-end=\"504\"\u003eSpecifications:\u003c\/strong\u003e\n\u003c\/h3\u003e\n\u003cul\u003e\n\u003cli data-start=\"479\" data-end=\"876\"\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eOrigin\u003c\/strong\u003e: Japan, Naruko Onsen (Miyagi Prefecture), found in Tokyo Prefecture.\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli data-start=\"479\" data-end=\"876\"\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003ePeriod\u003c\/strong\u003e: Shōwa Era, datable between the 1970s–1980s\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli data-start=\"479\" data-end=\"876\"\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eStyle\u003c\/strong\u003e: Naruko-kei (鳴子系)\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli data-start=\"479\" data-end=\"876\"\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eArtisan\u003c\/strong\u003e: Kojima Chōjirō (小島長治郎, 1926–2018)\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli data-start=\"479\" data-end=\"876\"\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eMaterial\u003c\/strong\u003e: Turned wood, hand-painted\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli data-start=\"479\" data-end=\"876\"\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eHeight\u003c\/strong\u003e: 21 cm\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli data-start=\"479\" data-end=\"876\"\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eSignature\u003c\/strong\u003e: Calligraphed under the base, in kanji\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli data-start=\"479\" data-end=\"876\"\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eCondition\u003c\/strong\u003e: Very good vintage condition, subtle patina, well-preserved colors\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003c\/ul\u003e\n\u003ch3 data-start=\"883\" data-end=\"935\"\u003e🧑 \u003cstrong data-start=\"886\" data-end=\"935\"\u003eThe artisan: Kojima Chōjirō (小島長治郎, 1926–2018)\u003c\/strong\u003e\n\u003c\/h3\u003e\n\u003cp data-start=\"937\" data-end=\"1210\"\u003eBorn on September 9, 1926, in Nametsu, Shichikashuku-machi village (Katta district, Miyagi Prefecture), Kojima Chōjirō – often romanized as \"Kojima\" although his name is read Ojima – is one of the most respected artisans of the Naruko style kokeshi tradition.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp data-start=\"1212\" data-end=\"1689\"\u003eThe eldest son of a farmer, he began working with wood in 1941, at the age of 16, under the tutelage of master \u003cstrong data-start=\"1324\" data-end=\"1342\"\u003eSuzuki Yokichi\u003c\/strong\u003e, at the Tōhoku Kōgei Igarashi factory in Nametsu. After completing his training in 1945, he founded his own workshop in 1950. He initially produced original models before returning, from 1974, to a faithful production of traditional kokeshi from his master. He then set up his workshop in Haramichishita, still in his native village.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp data-start=\"1691\" data-end=\"2015\"\u003eFrom 1977, he trained his own disciple, \u003cstrong data-start=\"1739\" data-end=\"1758\"\u003eOgata Michinori\u003c\/strong\u003e, who would in turn become a recognized artisan in the world of traditional kokeshi. Kojima Chōjirō passed away on February 1, 2018, at the age of 93, leaving behind a body of work that was both masterfully executed and deeply rooted in the Naruko heritage.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003ch3 data-start=\"2022\" data-end=\"2038\"\u003e🌸 \u003cstrong data-start=\"2025\" data-end=\"2038\"\u003eDetails:\u003c\/strong\u003e\n\u003c\/h3\u003e\n\u003cp data-start=\"2040\" data-end=\"2390\"\u003eThis kokeshi features all the attributes of the Naruko style: a slender body, a finely outlined neck, a serene face, and a V-shaped painted hairstyle framing delicate black strands. The wood has a patina, revealing subtle reflections depending on the light, while the well-preserved paint reveals a floral motif of great finesse.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp data-start=\"2392\" data-end=\"2836\"\u003eAt the center of the body, there is a \u003cstrong data-start=\"2425\" data-end=\"2444\"\u003ehishigiku motif\u003c\/strong\u003e (菱菊), literally \"diamond chrysanthemum,\" hand-painted in a deep vermillion red. This motif, emblematic of the Naruko style and directly inherited from the school of Suzuki Yokichi, represents the stylized chrysanthemum, a symbol of longevity and purity in Japanese iconography. It is accompanied by soft green leaves, arranged symmetrically around the central flower.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp data-start=\"2838\" data-end=\"3149\"\u003eThe top of the head is decorated with a red floral ring painted with the same precision, reminiscent of the seasonal ornaments found in traditional Japanese hairstyles. The whole evokes autumn, ephemeral beauty, and the serenity of the natural world as celebrated by the aesthetics of Tōhoku.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp data-start=\"3156\" data-end=\"3172\"\u003e🦝 \u003cstrong data-start=\"3159\" data-end=\"3172\"\u003eWe love:\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp data-start=\"3174\" data-end=\"3755\"\u003eThe high quality and precision of Master Kojima Chōjirō's work, the diamond chrysanthemum typical of Naruko, and the original red motifs on the top of its head. A traditional Naruko in all its beauty, and in perfect condition!\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"KOGEDO","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":51946364043603,"sku":"K42","price":45.0,"currency_code":"EUR","in_stock":false}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0937\/8562\/0819\/files\/kokeshi-naruko-bois-peinte-vintage-japon-kojima-chojiro-face.jpg?v=1758534423","url":"https:\/\/kogedo.com\/en\/products\/kokeshi-naruko-kojima-chojiro-hishigiku-21cm","provider":"KOGEDO","version":"1.0","type":"link"}