Kokeshi are Japanese dolls from the Tohoku region in Northern Japan. They were traditionally made as guardians of children but later became popular amongst Japanophiles and collectors. Kokeshi are thought to date back to the early 19th-century and they were produced by kijishi, woodworkers at the Shinichi Shuraku, near the Togatta Onsen in Zao. According to other sources, it is said that they were originally sold to visitors in the Tohoku region during the Edo Period (1600-1868). The origin of the name ‘kokeshi’ is unclear; some historians suggest that the name is a combination of names given to the dolls by their manufacturers. The traditional kokeshi is painted in black, red, and yellow and covered with wax. They are simple in shape with round heads and cylindrical limbless bodies and are made by the model of Naruko style or Tsuchiyu style. Estate sale prices: [left] $28, [middle] $23 and [right] $20.