The age of Kokeshi Doll's go back as far as 150 years. Most of Kokeshi Dolls are made from either dogwood, cherry or maple. Made in two pieces, the head and the body, the craftsman creates the head with a stem-plug that is forced into a tight hole above the shoulders. The dolls shape are minimal, no arms or legs etc, but whilst they may seem simple the process of making one is extensive; seasoning the wood, splitting into quarters for the lathe, rough cutting, fine cutting, sanding, painting, waxing and polishing. And depending on where in Japan the doll is made will also dictate that shape and decor of the doll. For instance how the doll is painted, or how the shoulders slope, if the body is wide or narrow etc.
This specific doll has a very light skin tone which truly brings the red and green patterns to life. The hair does have a small amount of fading, and the inscription on the bottom translates to 'Yoshiaki' which we believe is a makers mark or the owners name. The inscription on the back of the doll talks about a 'Tennis tournament' at the Tohoku Institute of Technology. We believe that this was given as a gift or reward for winning or competing in this tournament.
The dimensions of this doll are as follows: H - 36cm, W - 5.5cm at base, 9.5cm on head.
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