When Japanese Folk Art Moves from Wood to Paper

When we think of a kokeshi maker, we naturally think of wood. Of a form created on the lathe and of the brushstrokes that bring faces, flowers and patterns to life.

But that same visual language sometimes appears on a very different surface: the shikishi.

On these small Japanese art boards, lines, colours and motifs have more space than on the curved surface of a kokeshi. For those interested in kokeshi, they offer a fascinating way to see a maker's work beyond the familiar wooden form.

What is a shikishi?

A shikishi (色紙) is a firm Japanese art board, usually almost square in shape, used for calligraphy, poetry and painting. The traditional format most commonly encountered today measures approximately 24 × 27 cm.

Shikishi have a long history in Japan as a surface for both written and visual expression. Over time, they have been used for poetry, calligraphy, paintings, personal messages and signed artworks.

Their relatively small size makes them particularly suited to intimate works in which the hand of the artist remains clearly visible.

From wood to paper

A kokeshi is created in three dimensions.

The maker paints on a rounded body, adapting each line to the shape and curve of the wood. A brushstroke follows the volume of the doll and partly disappears from view as it moves around the surface.

On a shikishi, that limitation disappears.

The same brushwork can be applied much more freely. A kokeshi may be depicted in full, but it can just as easily be reduced to a few lines, a face, floral motifs or areas of colour.

The result is therefore not necessarily an exact representation of an existing kokeshi. Often, it is an interpretation of the same visual language.

And it is precisely here that the individual style of a maker can become particularly clear.

The hand of the kokeshi maker

This can also be seen in our first selection of vintage shikishi.

Hiraga Tadashi, a maker associated with the Sakunami tradition, translates the kokeshi into a strongly simplified image in which only a few lines and areas of colour are needed to make the form immediately recognisable.

Satō Eihiro also brought his work to shikishi. His piece combines a stylised kokeshi with calligraphy and red seals. The inclusion of the name Ushizōan, connected to his family workshop, directly links the work to the tradition in which he was trained.

On a shikishi by Takahashi Morio, a maker from the Naruko tradition, a handwritten inscription adds another layer of context. It refers to the Nakago Department Store in Fukushima, placing the work within a particular place and setting.

Details such as these show that a shikishi can be much more than a decorative image.

Signatures, seals and inscriptions

Alongside the image itself, shikishi often feature calligraphy, signatures and red seals.

Sometimes only the maker's name is present. Other works may also mention a workshop, location, occasion or short message.

For collectors, these elements are particularly interesting because they can help identify and contextualise a work.

Just as the signature on the underside of a vintage kokeshi can be important, the written elements on a shikishi deserve close attention. They may provide information about the maker, the workshop or the circumstances in which the work was created.

Another way of looking at kokeshi

A shikishi created by a kokeshi maker is not simply a picture of a wooden doll.

It is another expression of the same artistic language.

On wood, form and decoration are inseparable. On paper, the brushstroke stands much more on its own. This can reveal just how few lines an experienced maker needs to create a recognisable face, pattern or silhouette.

For those who collect kokeshi, a shikishi can therefore make an interesting addition. A work on paper and a wooden kokeshi by the same maker can show how an individual style changes when the surface changes.

But even without that connection, shikishi can be appreciated in their own right as small works of Japanese art and folk craft.

Shikishi in the interior

Their size also makes shikishi easy to display.

In Japan, special frames and stands are made specifically for shikishi, but a simple frame can work equally well in a contemporary interior. A single piece can be displayed on its own, while several shikishi together can highlight differences between makers, styles and motifs.

Their often restrained compositions also combine naturally with ceramics, wood and other natural materials.

From wood to paper

At first glance, a wooden kokeshi and a shikishi may seem like two very different objects.

One is turned and three-dimensional. The other is flat and composed of paper, ink and colour.

But when a kokeshi maker works in both forms, the connection becomes clear. The materials change, while characteristic lines, motifs and brushwork remain recognisable.

With our first selection of vintage shikishi by kokeshi makers, Tamashii introduces another way to discover this Japanese tradition.

Not only in wood, but also on paper.