Meaning of kokeshi | Babel Free

Definitions

A Japanese wooden doll with a spherical head having simple painted-on features, and a limbless, cylindrical body, typically featuring a painted-on floral design.

Examples

“I have a hurried look round my shelves: the Hawaiian belle of the dusky skin, the little Red Indian dolls from Lake Placid, the rows of kokeshis from Japan, which all bring back memories of wonderful Rotary friends, all over the world.”

“The popularity of kokeshi among Japanese tourists today is thus an eloquent testimony to the survival of a folk tradition as well as to the modern generation's ignorance of its implications.”

“The addition of decorative clothing a la simple rings of color and the expressive, even suggestive, faces that so many kokeshi wear, turned them from simple children's toys into works of collectible folk art.”

CEFR level