Takeda Masashi – Poetic Simplicity in Wood Carving

Takeda Masashi (武田正志, 1930–2015) was a Japanese Sōsaku Kokeshi artist from the Yonezawa region in Yamagata Prefecture, an area renowned for its long tradition of woodcraft and Kokeshi making.

He was trained within the Takeda family tradition, including under Takeda Usaburō, and later worked alongside his brother Takeda Shinkichi. From this solid craft foundation, he developed a distinctly personal style in which natural wood textures, stillness, and symbolism play a central role.

Takeda Masashi is considered part of the second generation of creative Kokeshi artists, who from the 1960s onward emphasized artistic expression and form over decorative convention.

Stylistic characteristics

• Natural wood grain as the primary means of expression

• Incised or carved floral and nature motifs, such as grain stalks, leaves, and seasonal imagery

• Simple faces with closed eyes and a subtle red mouth

• Warm wood tones with minimal use of paint or lacquer

• Balanced, compact silhouettes with soft transitions between head and body

• Signature: 武田正志 (Takeda Masashi), sometimes accompanied by a red seal

His Kokeshi embody calm, nature, and impermanence, closely aligned with wabi-sabi aesthetics. Each carving feels like a quiet homage to the Japanese landscape, captured in wood.

Works by Takeda Masashi are appreciated by collectors for their craftsmanship, restrained poetry, and unmistakable human warmth.