Kokeshi (ã"ã'ã—, å°èŠ¥å, kokeshi), are simple wooden dolls with no arms or legs that have been crafted for more than 150 years as a toy for children. Japanese dolls, originally from the northeastern region (TÅhoku-chihÅ) of Japan. They are handmade from wood, have a simple trunk and head with a few thin, painted lines to define the face. The body often has floral and/or ring designs painted in red, black, and sometimes green, purple, blue, or yellow inks, and covered with a layer of wax. One characteristic of kokeshi dolls is their lack of arms or legs. Since the 1950s, kokeshi makers have signed their work, usually on the bottom and sometimes on the back.
History and etymology
Wood Turning Mastery - The Making of the Japanese Kokeshi Doll - Sorry, I do not have more information about this video.
The origin and naming of kokeshi is unclear, with historical ateji spellings including å°èŠ¥å, 木牌å, 木形å, and 木芥å. The hiragana spelling ã"ã'ã— was agreed on at the All-Japan Kokeshi Exhibition (全国ã"ã'ã—大会) at Naruko Onsen in August 1939. A plausible theory is that "kokeshi" is derived from wooden (木, ki, ko) or small (å°, ko), and dolls (芥å, keshi).
Kokeshi were first produced by kijishi (木地師), artisans proficient with a potter's wheel, at the Shinchi Shuraku, near the TÅgatta Onsen in ZaÅ from where kokeshi-making techniques spread to other spa areas in the TÅhoku region. It is said that these dolls were originally made during the middle of the Edo period (1600â€"1868) to be sold to people who were visiting the hot springs in the north-east of the country.
Types
"Traditional" kokeshi (ä¼çµ±ã"ã'ã—, dentÅ-kokeshi) dolls' shapes and patterns are particular to a certain area and are classified under eleven types, shown below. The most dominant type is the Naruko variety originally made in Miyagi Prefecture, which can also be found in Akita, Iwate, and Yamagata Prefectures. The main street of the Naruko Onsen Village is known as Kokeshi Street and has shops which are operated directly by the kokeshi carvers.
"Creative" kokeshi (æ–°åž‹ã"ã'ã—, shingata-kokeshi) allow the artist complete freedom in terms of shape, design and color and were developed after World War II (1945). They are not particular to a specific region of Japan and generally creative kokeshi artists are found in cities.
The woods used for kokeshi vary, with cherry used for its darkness and dogwood for its softer qualities. Itaya-kaede, a Japanese maple, is also used in the creation of both traditional and creative dolls. The wood is left outdoors to season for one to five years before it can be used.
Traditional types
Traditional types often correspond to a single or multiple onsen located within the TÅhoku region.
- Tsuchiyu (土湯系): Tsuchiyu Onsen (Fukushima), Iizaka Onsen (Fukushima), Dake Onsen (Nihonmatsu)
- YajirŠ(弥治郎系): YajirŠ(Shiroishi)
- TÅgatta (é 刈ç"°ç³»): TÅgatta Onsen (ZaÅ)
- Naruko (é³´åç³»): Naruko Onsen (ÅŒsaki)
- Sakunami (作並系) or Yamagata-Sakunami (山形作並系): Sendai (incl. Sakunami Onsen), Yamagata, Yonezawa, Sagae, TendÅ
- ZaÅ Takayu (è"µçŽ‹é«˜æ¹¯ç³»): ZaÅ Onsen (Yamagata)
- Hijiori (肘折系): Hijiori Onsen (Ōkura)
- Kijiyama (木地山系): Kijiyama (Yuzawa)
- Nambu (å—部系): Morioka, Hanamaki Onsen (Hanamaki)
- Tsugaru (津軽系) or Nuruyu (温湯系): Nuruyu Onsen (Kuroishi), Ōwani Onsen (Ōwani)
In popular culture
Kokeshi dolls have been used as an inspiration for the style of Nintendo's digital avatars, called "Miis", which are created and customized by players. Their appearance has become the symbol of the platform's overall aesthetic.
In the popular PlayStation series LittleBigPlanet, a Kokeshi doll is seen in the game and can be obtained and used as an item for level making.
Inspiration for the Momiji Doll originates from the Kokeshi Doll.
Japanese professional wrestler Tomoaki Honma is nicknamed "Everybody's Kokeshi" (ã¿ã‚"ãªã®ã"ã'ã—, minna no kokeshi) after his finishing move "Kokeshi", a diving headbutt where Honma seems to fall lifelessly on his opponent.
In the game Mother 2, there is an object called "Kokeshi doll statue", blocking the underground path below the Stonehenge. The protagonist needs to erase this statue with so-called Kokeshi eraser machine (ã"ã'ã—ã'ã—マシン, Kokeshi Keshi Mashin).
See also
- Japanese traditional dolls
- Daruma doll
- Nesting doll
References
External links
- Media related to Kokeshi at Wikimedia Commons
- "32nd Michinoku Kokeshi Festival" at Destination Tohoku
- "Kokeshi" at Japanya.co.uk
- "the eleven different types of traditional kokeshi dolls
- The history and meaning of the Kokeshi dolls
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