Originally created for children as a toy and as a keepsake that parents passed on to their children, the traditional Japanese Kokeshi Doll is made of wood and has a cylindrical body and a round head.
These beautiful wooden dolls originated in the Tohoku region of Japan at some point between the 16th to 18th centuries. Made by woodworking artisans, known as Kijiya, no two were ever the same as they were handcrafted and hand-painted. Each Kijiya would develop their own unique style and sign the bottom of each piece.
The traditional antique dolls take many forms but in most cases the head is disproportionally large when compared to the body and they have very simple facial features. They were often decorated in red and black and sometimes 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.
A contemporary form of these traditional Japanese dolls can be found in the popular and collectable Momiji Dolls. These dolls are different from Kokeshi Dolls in that they contain a small space in the base for a secret message card to be hidden, for this reason they are also known as Momiji Friendship Dolls and are often given as a gift to show friendship and love.
The giving of a small gift is part of the culture of Japan and is known as omiyage.