What is a Japanese Kokeshi Doll ?

I love traditional Japanese Kokeshi Dolls, and if you know of my work you will have seen that much of my original artwork and craft products are variations on these lovely figurines.

So what is a traditional Japanese Kokeshi Doll ? 

 

The traditional Japanese Kokeshi doll is made of wood, has a cylindrical body and a round head, usually with the head disproportionally large when compared to the body. These beautiful wooden dolls originated in the Tohoku region of Japan at some point between the 16th to 18th centuries. They were made by woodworking artisans (known as Kijiya) to sell to tourists, and because they were handcrafted and hand-painted, no two traditional dolls are the same.

Kokeshi doll beauty is in their simplicity, typically they have very simple facial features, sometimes literally only a few basic lines depicting eyes and mouth, and simple patterned themes on the body (commonly simple floral designs). Antique dolls originally were decorated in red and black, occasionally yellow.

Kokeshi Dolls are still being handcrafted today,  new designs tend to be more brightly coloured but are still based on the same simplistic design and can be found widely in craft shops and online.

You can take a look at some of my Kokeshi Doll inspired artwork and craft items on my webpage at www.deejavu.co.uk