Kato Koumei | 加藤高明

Year of Birth: N/A

About👤

Kato Koumei was a lesser-known but evocative sōsaku Kokeshi artisan whose work centered on themes of childhood and rural life in early 20th-century Japan. While little biographical information is published, it is known that he passed away in 1964.

Kato specialized in depicting children engaged in daily chores, reflecting the realities of Japanese farm families during the 1940s. His dolls often portray siblings or young workers, capturing familial bonds and traditional attire with a quiet dignity.

His piece titled Siblings (Hibari) features three boys with expressive faces and unusually sculpted arms, unusual in Kokeshi design. He used contrasting woods for garments like haori jackets, often in red lacquer or natural finishes.Heads were typically rendered in beechwood with sumi-e-style facial features and hairstyles..

Each doll was lathe-turned, with careful attention to wood grain. Kato’s work is rarely signed, in keeping with early Sosaku traditions, though some later pieces bear his stamp due to Western collector demand.

Awards🏅

N/A

Other📑

Sources

Wolf, R., & Evans, M. (2025c). Artisan | Woodworker: Kato, Koumei. Mingei Arts. https://mingeiarts.com/collections/artisan-woodworker-kato-shuhei Last accessed 06/27/2025