Yousai Inoue "Clear Night" Formed with Tōso Over Wooden Core Coated with Urushi
- Dolls
- Created in 2023
- H 38.0 x W 14.0 x D 11.0 cm
-
$3,672
-
*
according to today's currency rate
-
*
shipping fees not included
-
*
Tōso Over Wooden Core Coated with Whitewash and Urushi
The doll is formed with tōso over a wooden core, Japanese traditional paper is pasted, and whitewash is applied. Whitewash overcoating is applied several times to give a sense of transparency to the skin. The clothes are finished with matte black urushi and sprinkled gold powder.
I made this piece with the image of a women from the Bible (Old Testament), Abigail.
Abigail was a thoughtful women who had true faith in God. She saved her country and later on became David's wife. I was fascinated by her way of life and named this doll "Clear Night", expressing her image with the contrast of black and white.
Category | Dolls |
---|---|
Year of Creation | 2023 |
Dimensions | H 38.0 x W 14.0 x D 11.0 cm |
Exhibition | The 52nd Kinki Traditional Kōgei Exhibition (2023) |
Yousai Inoue

1. My source of creation is insatiable curiosity and spirit of inquiry. My imagination is added to this, a theme is born, followed by the form and colors. 2. A doll is made in the form of a human, but I want to keep it dreamy in a way. I want to make pure, beautiful and cute dolls that people would want to keep beside them for a long time. 3. I mainly use wooden core covered with tōso (mixture of paulownia sawdust and paste) to make the dolls, but I sometimes make papier- mâché dolls and carved wooden dolls. 4. I cover the dolls with paper or cloth. Recently, I use mineral pigments and urushi lacquer to paint the dolls. 5. I started using urushi lacquer because of its excellent durability. I hope my dolls will remain as they are now even after I'm gone..