10. Kokeshi

A few years ago, during a trip to Japan, we saw an exhibition about Japanese animal figurines. These small statues with different expressions made from different materials connected us with the craftspeople ? the creators, and we were deeply moved by the simple and affectionate presence of their art, which has been passed on from their ancestors. We are also passionate collectors of books about Japan’s popular objects. We love to look them through to discover the quiet sophistication of objects. When some years ago we designed the Oiseau for Vitra, it was in some way a continuation of this bestiary.

When East Japan Project proposed us to work with a different kind of crafts, we chose traditional Kokeshi manufacturing - wooden dolls created a hundred years ago by craftsmen in Tohoku region in northern Honshu. Their roundness, which we see emerging from each of the spins of the woodturning, has barely changed since. We breathe movement into the doll with a single articulation; wood comes alive and mimics the movement of a friendly Japanese greeting. The know-how of craftsman Fujisato Woodcraft and master Eihiro Sato made it possible.

Designer Ronan & Erwan Bouroullec

Craftsman
Fujisato Mokkoujo, Oshu, Iwate Prefecture
Uzo-an, Karita, Miyagi Prefecture

2014/10
Material: Cornus, Washi, Rubber