Vintage Usaburo Kokeshi “Bakushū” by Okamoto Usaburo, 1970s

Elegant vintage kokeshi by the renowned master Okamoto Usaburo, titled “Bakushū” — literally “wheaten autumn”, a Japanese term referring to the season when grain ripens and is harvested, often around early summer. The wooden doll has a slender, understated form with a dark lacquered hairstyle, a calm face with fine eye lines and a deep, almost black wood tone.

Dimensions: height 31 cm, diameter 9 cm.

The body is delicately decorated with incised ears of grain, allowing the lighter wood to appear subtly through the dark surface. The composition is minimal yet highly poetic: quiet, natural and distinctly Japanese in atmosphere.

Signed on the back and marked with a gold label. The label refers to an award at the All Japan Kokeshi Contest: the Director-General’s Award of the Small and Medium Enterprise Agency. The underside also carries a red Usaburo artist label.

A strong collector’s piece within the Japanese sōsaku kokeshi tradition, with a restrained presence that also works beautifully as a refined interior accent.

Condition: beautiful vintage condition with light signs of use consistent with age; well preserved and decoratively strong.