This Sōsaku Kokeshi was created by Yoshio Ohtani (大谷良夫, born 1936), an accomplished artist associated with Japan’s modern creative kokeshi movement.
The body is covered with closely spaced white horizontal lines that create a soft textile-like effect over the natural warmth of the wood. Flowing handwritten calligraphy runs vertically across the torso, forming a poetic verse inspired by winter, while a small painted motif near the lower body completes the composition.
The plum blossom, or ume (梅), is especially meaningful in Japanese culture. Because plum trees bloom in the cold at the end of winter, often before other flowers appear, they have long symbolized perseverance, resilience, hope, and the arrival of spring. Combined with the winter poem, the motif gives this kokeshi a quiet seasonal poetry—suggesting beauty and renewal emerging from the coldest time of year.
Yoshio Ohtani was born in 1936 and became one of the notable figures of Japan’s modern craft and creative kokeshi movement. His work has received numerous important national craft distinctions, including the Prime Minister’s Award and the Minister of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries Award.
His kokeshi are admired for the harmonious relationship between natural wood grain, elegant turning, and delicate hand-painted decoration. Rather than treating the wood simply as a surface, Ohtani incorporated its warmth and texture into the overall design, creating figures that feel both modern and deeply connected to traditional Japanese craftsmanship.
Size: 6 x 6 x 24cm
