kokeshi doll(kokeshiningyo).
Tohoku (northernmost six prefectures of Honshu)
A wheel-thrown wooden doll made mainly in the six prefectures of the Tohoku region. The doll has a cylindrical body with a large spherical head, and patterns are painted on the face and body. The facial expression and the shape and pattern of the body vary from region to region, and the dolls are classified into 11 or 12 different lines. There are various theories about the origin of kokeshis, but the most popular theory is that they were first made as souvenirs at bathhouses during the Edo period by kijiji-shi (craftsmen who made tools from wood from the mountains). In addition to “traditional kokeshi,” which inherits the techniques and taste of those days, in recent years there have been “new kokeshi,” which can be freely shaped and painted, and “creative kokeshi,” in which the creativity of the artist is strong.
