Yamanaka Sanpei - Rainbow Kokeshi - Circa 1970 -d8

Born in Yonezawa, Yamagata Prefecture, Yamanaka began his artistic career as a photographer, after majoring in chemistry. He joined the Sosaku Kokeshi movement (contemporary kokeshi with free forms). Winner of more than twenty between 1962 and 1989, Yamanaka was influenced by Buddhism and explored the interplay of color and wood grain, and clear, distinct forms. The colors are always soft and should evoke those of the rainbow, which is "the highest possible state before reaching Nirvana, where individual desire and consciousness are sublimated." The faces are expressive with an economy of means - the headdresses evoke the stupa, a concave structure where Buddha's bodily relics were buried - a term used to describe the "Buddha's bun." A follower of Zen, the sobriety and spontaneity of the forms should directly touch the viewer's sensitivity. Few lines or volumes but strong expressiveness. Any superfluous detail is neglected. We can consider this type of dolls as Zen Buddhist meditation statuettes. Yamanaka Sanpei worked alone on each piece, and signed with a broad touch. His pieces are thus uncommon. - About kokeshis: they were toys for little girls, or offered as a token of love or friendship; or symbolized the desire to have a healthy child. They would have a talismanic function, are modesty, gentleness. They would also have a Buddhist origin. Their hairstyles evoking the Buddha's bun. A note on the artist as well as the history and function of kokeshis will be attached. This is a vintage doll that may have minor imperfections