Japanese Kokeshi Dolls
I was walking around in some art shops, and i found this cute wood japanese dolls. Apparently its called Kokeshi dolls. Because its very cute, my wife decided to buy one of them, so we can put it in our living room. Curious about the kokeshi dolls, i did some googling, and find some history about japan kokeshi doll.
History of Kokeshi
Traditional Japanese Kokeshi began to be made approximately two hundred years ago sometime in the middle of the Edo period(1603-1867). The kokeshi dolls emerged out of local life and culture and were first produced in the north east area of Japan known as the Tohoku region. It is commonly thought that woodwork artisans of the time know as Kijiya, (which means woodworker in Japanese) originally specialized in wooden household utensils such as trays and bowls. Then they began to make small dolls in the winter to sell to the tourists who came to bathe in the many onsens (hot springs) near their villages. The few people who could afford the luxury of such a pastime bought the Kokeshi dolls as a souvenir and took the dolls back to their own areas where they were often passed on to the children. This, they thought, would promise a good harvest, as it was believed that it would create a positive impression on the gods if children played with the dolls.
There are 11 Type of traditional kokeshi dolls. Traditional dolls made today can be classified under eleven types : Tsuchiyu, Togatta, Yajiro, Naruko, Sakunami, Yamagata, Kijiyama, Nanbu, Tsugaru, Zao takayu, and Hijioro.
The kokeshi dolls now is sitting besides my TV in my living room, and it looks very charming. I think i might get another one because its so unique and cute.
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I haven’t seen the Kokeshi Doll with white hair before (first picture), did you buy this doll?