On November 27, the exhibition "The World of Japanese Dolls" KOKESI "opens at the OKNO Gallery of the Kazan City Hall
The exhibition is organized at the initiative of the Japan Foundation and Tatar-Japanese cultural and information center "Sakura", with support of the Ministry of Culture of the Republic of Tatarstan, ANO "Center for Tourism Development of the Republic of Tatarstan"
Kokeshi is a Japanese wooden doll covered with painting.
The doll consists of a cylindrical body and a head attached to it, turned on a lathe. Less commonly, a toy is made from a single piece of wood.
A characteristic feature of a kokeshi is that the doll has no arms and legs.
You can find these cute wooden souvenirs in various cities in Japan. They are sold everywhere: in supermarkets and small shops, in hotels, airports, train stations.
At the same time, kokeshi are produced only in six northern prefectures of the island of Honshu: Aomori, Akita, Iwate, Miyagi, Fukushima, Yamagata.
Today, eleven schools of this traditional doll have survived. Each school has its own characteristic shapes and patterns that reflect the culture of the area they represent.
The tradition of the school is passed on to family members, less often to apprentices. The master learns and improves skills for a long time. Men and women are equally involved in production.
Initially, wooden dolls were made as the first toys for babies. The kokeshi shape is best for gripping with small handles.
Later, these dolls began to appear on the shelves as souvenirs, which were eagerly bought and taken away as a Japanese souvenir by numerous guests of the Land of the Rising Sun.
As a material for making dolls, craftsmen use wood of various types of trees - cherry, dogwood, maple or birch.
Floral, plant and other traditional motives prevail in the coloring of kokeshi ...