The Wooden Dolls of Tohoku
By Barbara Beveridge
Tohoku is a district in the north-eastern part of Japan. Over a hundred years ago, the woodworkers there started making a special sort of doll for their children. Nowadays, these dolls are famous. They are called "Kokeshi" dolls.
Kokeshi dolls all have a wooden body with a loose-jointed head, and no arms or legs. There are many shapes and sizes. Some are only a few centimetres high; others may be as tall as a metre.
They are painted with flower designs - usually chrysanthemums, apricot blossom, peonies or maple leaves.
The woodworkers of Tohuku are still making Kokeshi dolls - not just for children, but for adults, too. Many people like to collect them.
|
|