A baby rests in its basket – sheltered, still, barely visible. The Ejiko form, originally inspired by the wooden carrying baskets in which children of the Tōhoku region were cradled during fieldwork, is here reduced to its emotional essence: protection, warmth, and a sense of being held. This Kokeshi variant has long been regarded as an expression of maternal care – and Yusuke Sato carries that tradition forward with a restraint entirely his own. He works at Kijidokoro Sato, a workshop with over 120 years of history at the heart of the Yajiro region.
The basket is round and smooth – a gradation from pale yellow-green at the base to natural wood at the opening. On the front, two sunflowers are in bloom, petals in yellow and ochre, dark centres, stems with green leaves. Near the rim, a small butterfly hovers. Himawari, the sunflower, stands in Japan for summer and for devotion – it turns towards the sun. Nestled inside sits the Kokeshi figure: a small head, closed eyes in the Fuse-me style, a delicate smile, rosy cheeks. Red plum blossoms along the sides – fine brushwork on the smallest of canvases.
Viewed from above, what remains hidden from the front becomes visible: the characteristic Rokuro-Moyo pattern on the crown – concentric circles in green, orange, blue, and red, precisely applied. A hallmark of the Yajiro tradition.
- Ejiko-Kokeshi in the Yajiro tradition
- Basket: yellow-green gradation, hand-painted sunflower and butterfly motif
- Kokeshi figure: Fuse-me eyes, hand-painted blossom motif, Yajiro hair crown
- Rokuro-Moyo pattern on the crown: concentric circles
- Hand-turned and hand-painted – by Yusuke Sato
- Signed by the artist
Height: approx. 4 cm | Diameter: approx. 4 cm | Wood: Mizuki (Dogwood) | Handcrafted
