Old kokeshi Japanese doll 23

Hand painted traditional Japanese doll -kokeshi. Ideal for decoration or collecting.

Kokeshi are wooden dolls originating from northern Japan, produced in the Sendai and Miyagi provinces of Tohoku.

Each kokeshi doll is handmade and hand-painted by a Japanese craftsman and therefore has a unique appearance.

Kokeshi dolls made their appearance in Japan during the Edo period (1600-1868), when kijiya (carpenters) began to use their skills not only to make trays and bowls, but also to create dolls to sell as toys and souvenirs for onsen visitors.

Traditional kokeshi are only produced in the six prefectures of Tohoku and have a very simple design, with a round head and a cylindrical body without limbs. The motifs of their kimono, floral and linear, have been passed down through generations in the families of their creators.

Creative kokeshi, which originated as an art form after World War II and are therefore more modern, are produced mainly in Gunma Prefecture. They generally retain the smooth body of traditional kokeshi, but are more contoured; they have additional features, such as sharper hair and more contemporary-style kimonos.