Kokeshi doll Otomesode - A girl wearing kimono

Kokeshi dolls are part of Japanese folk art.
These traditional Japanese wooden dolls and figurines, created during the Edo period (1600 - 1868) and originating from the Tohoku region, were originally made for children.

According to popular beliefs, they were also believed to transmit messages that they hid in their trunk. People who visited Onsen (hot springs) in Tohoku used to buy them as souvenirs.

These little dolls were also a source of income for the local people during the winter months when farming was not very convenient.

The most popular kokeshis are made from pagoda dogwood, which is known for its hardness and strength.

Versions are also available in cherry wood.

Their traditional composition is simple: a small round head on a simple trunk.

The surface, perfectly smoothed, is delicately painted with a brush.

Lines fineness is surprising.

The finishing by application of a layer of polished and glossy wax gives it all its characteristic brilliance.

In the seventeenth century, they represented mainly children and had longitudinal forms.

Contemporary versions are less slender, rounder and come in animal versions, elderly people, or in a more fanciful way, signs of the zodiac, characters or popular creatures.

The reason is simple, they are coveted by collectors as much for their aesthetics as for the virtues that are attributed to them: happiness, health...

A must of Japanese folk art!