Kokeshi Yamagata traditionnel par Kozo Okuyama

This kokeshi, created by Kozo Okuyama (1905–1984), stands 18 centimeters tall and reflects the elegance of the Yamagata tradition. The doll has a rounded head with painted black hair and a serene expression rendered with only a few fine brushstrokes: narrow eyes, thin brows, and a small mouth. The cylindrical body is decorated with simple red floral motifs framed by horizontal bands at the top and bottom, leaving much of the natural wood grain visible. The balance between restraint and detail gives the doll a quiet dignity and timeless beauty.

Kozo Okuyama, also registered under the name Hirozo, was born on October 24, 1905, in Yachi, Kahoku-cho, Yamagata Prefecture, the youngest of eight siblings and the fourth son of the woodcarver Yasuji Okuyama. His father, a craftsman trained under Kobayashi Kuraji of Yamagata, was active in turning kokeshi dolls, toys, trays, and utensils, and it was under his guidance that Kozo began learning woodcarving at the age of sixteen. For many years, however, his work focused less on dolls and more on practical items and toys. Although he began making kokeshi under his father a few years before Yasuji’s death in 1928, much of his early livelihood came from spinning tops, trays, and New Year’s utensils, which were still in demand.

It was not until 1939 that his work with kokeshi was revived, thanks to the encouragement of the kokeshi enthusiast Ishii Shinnosuke, who actively sought out forgotten or little-known craftsmen. Aside from a small number of dolls made during the war years for specific orders, his name remained largely obscure in the immediate postwar period. Only in 1954 did he return seriously to kokeshi-making, again at the request of a collector, Shibata Hajime. By the late 1950s, interest in traditional kokeshi had grown, and his production increased accordingly. His eldest son, Hiroshi, began training with him in the late 1950s, continuing the family tradition.

Kozo Okuyama’s kokeshi are admired for their restrained beauty, their calm expressions, and the way they balance the painted decoration with the natural character of the wood. He continued his craft into his later years and passed away on April 5, 1984, at the age of eighty, leaving behind a legacy that linked the old craft traditions of Yamagata with their revival in the twentieth century.