Kokeshi
Kokeshi dolls originate from the Tohoku region of Northern Japan, well-known for its onsen resorts during the middle of the Edo period (1600–1868) when kijiya (woodworkers), accustomed to making bowls and trays, began using their woodworking skills and lathes to make simple dolls to sell as toys and souvenirs to the onsen visitors. The dolls may originally have had a spiritual significance with the kokeshi representing a wish for a healthy child. It has also been suggested that kokeshi, with their round heads and limbless bodies probably made in an unpainted form originally, were used as massage tools by spa bathers. The name 'kokeshi' itself is thought to derive from a combination of names given to the wooden dolls in the various areas of their manufacture. Email keith at japon.com.au for price.
Mingei means “peoples art” which is the acknowledgement of the simple unpretensious beauty that generations of anonymous artist craftsman bought to objects the Japanese lived with and worked with every day.