This is quite a large Sosaku kokeshi. These are lathe-turned dolls with an undulating form defining the various parts of the body. The head shows its attachment to the body by a wonderfully formed neckline while the garment shows negative space between each section. The Kimono motif is beautifully executed by a burning technique called, ‘Shou sugi ban’, that creates the three-dimensional qualities of the garment, which in this case is the natural wheat prior to harvest. The waist is specifically identified by a three-dimensional ring of different wood to bring attention to this detail. The face is extremely simple incorporating angled eyes and a suggestion of a nose and lips. The top of the head shows a ‘Mage’, in which the hair is stacked in a complex manner with a suggestion of hair falling on both sides of the face. The doll is both signed in the script by the artist as well as has his red impressed stamp on the bottom. Born in Maebashi, Gunma Prefecture, Kishi- san produced hundreds of Creative Kokeshi dolls until his passing. During his career, he received numerous awards, winning the Prime Minister’s Award and the Minister of Economy, Trade, and Industry Award (METI). He is credited with being one of the major influences of the ‘Sosaku Kokeshi Movement’, gaining recognition for the dolls as a popular and valid art form. The large doll is 48 cm tall and was sadly damaged at some point in the past.