Kokeshi

A second impression or variant of Kawano's Kokeshi composition, this woodblock print continues his engagement with the traditional wooden dolls of the Tōhoku region as subject matter. The kokeshi's simple turned form — a cylindrical body topped with a round head, decorated with painted chrysanthemum or abstract patterns — translates readily into the flat, graphic vocabulary of [sosaku-hanga](/glossary/sosaku-hanga). Kawano likely used a small number of color blocks to render the dolls' characteristic red, black, and natural wood tones, with incised lines providing definition for the painted decorative bands. Differences between this impression and its variant may lie in color saturation, paper tone, or minor adjustments to the printed color areas. The subject reflects the broader postwar mingei-influenced interest among Japanese artists in documenting and celebrating regional folk traditions through fine art media, an impulse shared across the sosaku-hanga and [shin-hanga](/glossary/shin-hanga) movements.