Set of 4 dolls Kokeshi japan 1950

4 kokeshi dolls, signed wood, 1950s, japan. Height 24.5cm/ 15cm / 12. Diameter from 5.5cm to 3cm. A whole story: These children's toys were made in tōhoku, a tourist area that was famous for its hot springs (onsens). Kijishi craftsmen (local woodcarvers) used to make wooden objects requested by tourists of the 17th century thermal baths, and especially dexterity! Also, they offered them, among other objects, wooden bowls and trays as well as kokeshi that they brought back as a souvenir. To be content with this version on the origins of kokeshi dolls would be to ignore japanese culture loaded with symbolism and legends. Other hypotheses try to demystify the origin of these dolls which constitute a well-kept japanese cultural heritage. Thus, it would be for some researchers statuettes made in memory of children sacrificed because of famine, while according to other versions, it would be rather an invocation of the deities of fertility and good harvests! Indeed, these figurines represented the desire to have a child. Also, another theory claims that kokeshi were massage accessories for rituals practiced in onsen.

Ref. : 1J7ZK42K