I have carefully stored this new item in a dark place since receiving it. It is inscribed with "Kuroishi Yosare" in handwriting, and I believe I either purchased it from or received it from Mr. Mutihide Abo, a craftsman, at the Kuroishi Yosare festival in Kuroishi City, Aomori Prefecture. Compared to other works by Mr. Mutihide Abo, this piece has red cheeks, making it a rare work. Mutihide Abo (1950–) Lineage: Tsugaru Teacher: Zenji Sato Disciples: Kanemitsu Abo / Masafumi Abo [Biography] Born on April 14, 1950, in Oaza Hanamaki, Kuroishi City, Aomori Prefecture. He currently runs Abo Kokeshiya in the same location, producing kokeshi dolls and zodiac figures with his son, Masafumi. In 1965, while in his third year at Higashi-Ei Junior High School in Kuroishi City, he joined the kokeshi club led by Zenji Sato. This club was founded by Mutihide, and his younger brother, Kanemitsu, later joined as well. After graduating, he lived and trained with Zenji Sato for six years starting in April 1966, and then worked as a commuter until the spring of 1977. Initially, his training involved making the heads of back scratchers, "zuguri" (a type of wooden toy), and small parts for apples using automated machinery. Shutarō Mori, the founder of Yunoyu kokeshi, sat cross-legged while working at the lathe, but after Zenji, his disciple, became independent from Shutarō, he began using a chair while working at the lathe, taking inspiration from other workshops. Consequently, Zenji's disciples also work at the lathe while seated. In February 1968, at the request of Tokio Shikama, Zenji Sato began making the Itaro Sato type, and subsequently, disciples like Toshiyuki Kojima and Mutihide Abo also started making the Itaro type. From April 1969, they began making the Kohei type (according to the Kokeshi Dictionary). The "Kamei Traditional Kokeshi Craftsmen Record" states that kokeshi production began in September 1969, but production actually started around 1967. Mutihide's father was a carpenter, and his mother also handled lumber, assisting Mutihide with tasks like wood selection. Toshiyuki Kojima, a fellow disciple, is one year senior to Abo, and Junichi Sasamori overlapped with Abo's training for the last two years. His disciples include his younger brother, Kanemitsu, and his eldest son, Masafumi. Kanemitsu was a carpenter, but after an accident at a construction site, he was injured and began assisting Mutihide, becoming independent around 2003. In recent years, Mutihide held a talk event and drawing demonstration at the "Koenji Fes" event in Koenji, Tokyo, in November 2011, and performed demonstrations and sales at Togenuki Jizo Kogan-ji Temple in Sugamo, Tokyo, in June and November 2012. #MutihideAbo #KanemitsuAbo #MasafumiAbo #ZenjiSato #YunoyuKokeshi #TsugaruKokeshi #ShutaroMori #TraditionalKokeshi #Kokeshi