Glossary

A broad name for Japanese wooden dolls discussed here through regional traditions, individual creative practice, makers, places and documented objects.

Traditional kokeshi organised in current official material through regional groups and inherited making practice. Classification systems have their own history and should be named with their source.

Creative kokeshi commonly discussed through individual artistic practice rather than the same regional-lineage framework used for traditional kokeshi.

A group, lineage or tradition label. On this site it identifies the classification used by a named source, not an unchanging natural category.

A term used for a kokeshi craftsperson or maker. A person record still needs a verified name, source and present-day status.

A woodturner working wooden blanks into vessels, toys and other turned forms. Historical references to kijishi need local and period context.

A lathe used to turn wood. The machine, tools and working sequence vary by maker, workshop and period.

Preparing and sizing wood for later turning. Miyagi’s official process list places it before rough and finish turning.

Rough turning: an early shaping stage in the process sequence published for Miyagi traditional kokeshi.

Finish turning: the refining stage listed after rough turning in Miyagi’s official production sequence.

Painted decoration. Face, hair, lines and motifs should be attributed to a documented maker, object or regional source rather than guessed from resemblance.

Assembly or fitting of turned parts, listed as a production stage for Miyagi traditional kokeshi. Construction is not identical across every group.

A one-piece construction in which head and body are turned continuously from the same piece of wood, documented for Tsugaru and Kijiyama work in the sources used here.

A wood named in Miyagi Prefecture’s official material among the raw materials for Miyagi traditional kokeshi. Species-level claims should follow the source for a specific maker or object.

A maple named in official Miyagi and Akita craft material. Its use should be attached to a documented production context rather than assumed for every kokeshi.