Kokeshi "Hana Kasumi" Award-winning work by the Prime Minister's Award recipient Made by Takashi Yoshida This is a large, sturdy kokeshi doll. It wears a plum blossom kimono, and the cuffs are heart-shaped. Plum blossoms are considered auspicious. The plum blossom pattern is carefully crafted, showcasing the craftsmanship of traditional Japanese artisans. This item was cherished and displayed at home. Please understand that this is a pre-owned item and has been stored at home. Returns are not accepted. Recycled cardboard will be used for shipping. About the artist, Takashi Yoshida Born in June 1948 in Kiryu City, Gunma Prefecture. While attending the Textile Department of Kiryu Technical High School, he studied design and color. After graduating and working for a company, he began creating creative kokeshi dolls at the age of 30 in 1978, under the tutelage of Inosuke Kobayashi. In 1982, he received the Minister of Education Encouragement Award for "Kisaragi" at the National Modern Kokeshi Exhibition. Since then, he has won the Prime Minister's Award, the highest honor, four times at the All-Gunma Modern Kokeshi Competition. He is a member of the Japan Kokeshi Craft Association. Takashi Yoshida's Kokeshi Making Takashi Yoshida's works are divided into general items available in stores and creative works, but his main focus is on one-of-a-kind creative wooden dolls made from Japanese zelkova wood. He roughly divides thick zelkova trees, some hundreds of years old, into four parts and carves each one by hand. "I can't carve with a half-hearted feeling. Because 10 centimeters of the annual rings is equivalent to a lifetime of a human being," one can sense Yoshida's kindness towards nature and his strictness towards himself from his words. He cuts the zelkova wood with a chainsaw, does not use a potter's wheel, and shapes it with a chisel and mallet, finishing it with a carving knife. "I think the wood wants to take that shape." When Yoshida carves a kokeshi doll, he first decides on a theme and solidifies the image before starting to carve. However, he sometimes encounters knots, and he has to change the shape to avoid them. Then, the result turns out to be better. "If I'm carving in the wrong direction, it's as if the wood is saying, 'Not that way, carve this way.' What's important in carving a kokeshi doll is a dialogue with the wood." Takashi Yoshida's creative kokeshi dolls may be avant-garde and somewhat detached from tradition. However, his spirit is no different from that of the era when people coexisted with nature. "Some people say that carving wood or making kokeshi dolls is a waste of wood. Isn't it damaging to the green? But I am allowed to work with the wood, so I am an ally of the wood and nature. I want to create works that are not inferior to the annual rings of the wood." The above is a reprint.