Sosaku Kokeshi Toa Sekiguchi Japan

Son of Sansaku, Toa was born in Shibukawa City, Gunma-ken, and still lives and works there with his family, all of whom create Sosaku Kokeshi. Winner of many awards, he received the Ministry of International Trade Industry Award in 1978-9. Since then he has won the Prime Minister’s Award, one named Kaze ni Fukarete, and two others one named Utage and a third Chikurin are marked with his script signature and the note: “Naikaku-soridaijinsho jyushu sakka”, Several others received respected commendations. Toa and his wife operate their own Kokeshi studio, where they continue to create award-winning Kokeshi. Toa-san often employs beautifully painted Mizuki (Dogwood), for his pieces. We see all types of motifs used, including festival elements representing fireworks, and natural elements such as abstracted Gingko leaves, (Ginkgo trees survived the atomic bomb dropped on Hiroshima in 1945, and are considered a “bearer of hope”). We additionally see wheat, plum flowers, cloud-filled skies, and evening sunsets. Many pieces illustrate long hair executed by deep carving to define the hair strands. Toa definitely shows off his artistic, painterly abilities with beautiful creations in black, grey, vermillion, and gold.Vintage Sosaku Kokeshi entitled: “Chihaya | Autumn Chill” by Sekiguchi, Toa (1942-)The piece was published in the 2022 publication of Sosaku Kokeshi: Celebrating the Major Artists of the Creative Movement