Vintage Kokeshi

My aunt Ruth lived in Japan in the 1950s when her husband was in the Army and was stationed there. She sent us back some cool things from Japan, including this pair of kokeshi dolls. These hand-painted wooden dolls are vintage noddler kokeshi, probably from the northern spa towns of Miyagi prefecture. These dolls were produced for tourists, and I think this pair is considered a wedding pair. They are wearing ornate kimono. I have always loved these dolls, and have used them in my artwork in the past.

Last week I went a little kokeshi-mad and started searching on the internet for more like these. I plan to create a kokeshi pattern line for gift wrap, fabric, etc. I started bidding on all these kokeshi dolls on ebay. I can see how collecting things like this can easily become an obsession. Luckily, for my bank acount, I lost out to higher bidders.

These dolls are considered "vintage" because they are mid-century (20th century.) So am I. I am definitely feeling a little "vintage" today, having had an MRI done on my knee, where I have worn out the cartilege.