This is a trio of Japanese Kokeshi dolls made of wood and hand-painted. Signed by the artist. The dolls are a representation of Japanese culture and is made in Japan.

Largest - 4” x 1.25”

Medium - 3.25” x1”

Smallest - 1.75” x 2” wide

The history of the traditional Kokeshi originated in the early 1800s, in the northern region of Japan known as Tohoku, an area comprised of six prefectures (Ken): Aomori, Akita, Iwate, Yamagata, Miyagi, and Fukushima. Miyagi is thought to be the actual birthplace of the Kokeshi doll, which is now considered the archetypical doll form of Japan. They were created to satisfy the desire of children to have something with which they could play as well as incorporating historical elements that parents wanted to pass on to their children. For a doll reduced to its simplest form, there are a wonderful range of variations on the spherical/cylindrical theme produced by the artists, with very distinctive facial features, head and body shapes, and painted patterns. These variations reflect the styles of the six different prefectures and the ten/eleven families historically associated with the making of these traditional Kokeshi wooden dolls.