Book - Kokeshi, The Art of Japanese Dolls, Laetitia Hébert

Collection: The Prunier
Number of pages: 168
Format: 15 x 18
Release date: November 2019
​​​​​​​Language : French
ISBN: 978-2-35432-329-5
color photos

Kokeshi dolls are small wooden figurines that have become one of the symbols of Japan. Simple in shape, without arms or legs, originally intended for children's games, they are part of popular culture. Handcrafted, with different styles despite their apparent homogeneity, they have become collector's items, souvenirs that tourists and Japanese alike love to offer.

This book, the first in French, presents this art of kokeshi which dates back to the 19th century, and which are mainly made in northeastern Japan (Tôhôku) by nearly 180 workshops of traditional craftsmen. The author takes us into these workshops, meet the artisans, discover their manufacturing processes which require several years of apprenticeship.

She presents and describes, thanks to very beautiful photos, the different styles, traditional and modern, and shares with us her familiarity and her enthusiasm for the world of kokeshi.