Kokeshi
Kokeshi ( Japanese こ け し , 小 芥子 ) are a traditional, handcrafted toy characteristic of Japan . These are figures turned from fruit tree wood , which have a greatly simplified form, and represent girls. As a rule, they have a cylindrical body with no recognizable extremities and a rounded oval head. They are painted with simple colors , some with round ornaments , some with floral motifs. The main colors are red and black. The faces are also highly stylized. Each artisan has his own, typical form, as well as a typical painting and provides his work with a signature on the foot of the figure. To protect the colors, Kokeshi are given a fine wax coating .
As a special feature, some figures have movable heads.
They originally came from northern Japan, the Tohoku region . Today the city of Sendai is known as the "Kokeshi capital".
In recent years the traditional forms have become rarer. They are increasingly being replaced by industrially manufactured figures, which have a significantly different design language.
