{"product_id":"k30052-zao-kokeshi-by-matsusuke-saito-斎藤松助","title":"K30052 - Zao Kokeshi by  Matsusuke Saito 斎藤松助","description":"\u003cp\u003eThis Zao-style kokeshi was created by Matsusuke Saito \u003cmeta charset=\"utf-8\"\u003e斎藤松助 (1902–1976), a craftsman deeply connected to the long lineage of woodturners and kokeshi makers of the Zao Takayu hot spring region in Yamagata Prefecture. His work reflects the rustic warmth and understated beauty characteristic of traditional Zao kokeshi, while also carrying the personal history of an artisan whose life spanned war, hardship, and the preservation of regional folk craft.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThe doll displays the gentle simplicity associated with classic Zao-style forms — a softly rounded head balanced atop a slender cylindrical body, decorated with restrained yet elegant hand-painted details. The facial features are calm and refined, with delicate eyes and subtle brushwork that convey a quiet, introspective expression. The natural wood grain remains beautifully visible beneath the translucent pigments, giving the piece a warm and organic presence shaped by both hand and time.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eBorn in 1902 in Zao High Temperature Hot Springs, Matsusuke Saito became familiar with the lathe from early childhood while learning under his father, Matsuji Saito, himself a respected woodturner. His mother, Fuku, helped sustain the family trade by carrying and selling kokeshi and wooden wares from inn to inn throughout the hot spring town. Matsusuke formally apprenticed after elementary school and grew alongside fellow artisans such as Genkichi Saito and Kakushiro Ishizawa during a formative period for Zao kokeshi craftsmanship.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eHis life, however, extended far beyond woodworking alone. He served in Manchuria during military service, later worked in Tokyo and Yamagata, and was twice mobilized during wartime. After returning home, he eventually devoted himself to managing the family inn, Shosenkaku, and paused woodworking for many years. It was only in 1965 that he resumed making kokeshi dolls, producing a relatively limited number of works during the final decade of his life. Because of this late return to craftsmanship, Matsusuke Saito’s surviving kokeshi are especially valued for their rarity and historical significance within the Zao tradition.\u003cbr\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eSize: 8 x 8 x 30cm\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"Maison Kyo","offers":[{"title":"≈30cm","offer_id":57430807085387,"sku":"K30051","price":35.0,"currency_code":"EUR","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0964\/9746\/7723\/files\/temple_c13b44a7-7213-4ca7-80ad-75f57e557598.jpg?v=1779691596","url":"https:\/\/maisonkyo.be\/es\/products\/k30052-zao-kokeshi-by-matsusuke-saito-%e6%96%8e%e8%97%a4%e6%9d%be%e5%8a%a9","provider":"Maison Kyo","version":"1.0","type":"link"}