Vintage Sōsaku Kokeshi ‘Camellia Girl’ by Kazuo Takamizawa, 1970s, Japan

Vintage sōsaku kokeshi by Kazuo Takamizawa, titled “Camellia Girl”, dating from the 1970s, Shōwa period, Japan.

Dimensions: height 21 cm, diameter 9 cm.

This understated kokeshi is crafted from warm natural wood, with the grain forming an important part of the design. The rounded head, small topknot and minimal facial features give the figure a calm and gentle expression.

The body is decorated with subtle burned and drawn motifs in different shades of brown. The decoration reflects Takamizawa’s early work, in which he often combined natural wood grain with restrained pyrographic details.

Kazuo Takamizawa is a well-known artist within the Japanese sōsaku kokeshi tradition, recognised for his serene faces, harmonious forms and refined use of natural wood grain and botanical motifs.