- Japanese name
- 鳴子系こけし
- Reading
- naruko-kei kokeshi
- Main region
- Naruko Onsen, Miyagi Prefecture
- Verification
- partial
Visual checklist
How to recognise Naruko Kokeshi
- ConstructionHamekomi: the head is fitted into the body. Rough turning uses a horizontal lathe.
- HeadA mizuhiki-style hair decoration with hair, or a topknot (mage), and the painted face.
- BodyChrysanthemum, maple, peony, iris, pinks or bellflower, with rokuro lines.
Source: Tohoku Bureau of Economy, Trade and Industry. A match suggests a regional group; it does not authenticate a maker, date or value. Compare the base inscription with the signed kokeshi guide.
Published evidence fields
What the reviewed sources support
Documented materials
- Mizuki (dogwood)
- Itaya kaede (maple)
- Urihada kaede (maple)
Omitted fields remain under review. These notes are context, not a visual authentication key.
Place network
Research the region
Photographic references
Documentary images will appear here only after rights, credit and object details are recorded.
Optional object media
Documentary object capture remains a separate research track.
The 3D Lab contains clearly disclosed original interface studies. They are not attached to a tradition record and must not be used for identification or attribution.
Visit the 3D studiesQuestions
Naruko Kokeshi: common questions
- Where is Naruko Kokeshi made?
- Naruko Onsen, Miyagi Prefecture. Naruko Kokeshi is one of the eleven traditional kokeshi groups listed by the Tohoku Bureau of Economy, Trade and Industry.
- How can you recognise Naruko Kokeshi?
- Construction: Hamekomi: the head is fitted into the body. Rough turning uses a horizontal lathe. Head: A mizuhiki-style hair decoration with hair, or a topknot (mage), and the painted face. Body: Chrysanthemum, maple, peony, iris, pinks or bellflower, with rokuro lines. Individual makers vary within these rules, so the features suggest a group rather than prove a maker or date.
Keep researching
Collecting and buying with evidence
Evidence
Sources and further reading
- officialMiyagi Traditional Crafts — Miyagi Traditional Kokeshi
Miyagi Prefectural Government · 2025-08-14
View source (opens in a new tab)Accessed 2026-08-31 - officialMiyagi Traditional Kokeshi and the Eleven Tohoku Groups
Tohoku Bureau of Economy, Trade and Industry
View source (opens in a new tab)Accessed 2026-08-31The official endpoint blocks some automated and overseas-network requests; its current indexed record was rechecked on 2026-09-06. - officialThe Kokeshi Dolls of Tohoku
Government of Japan · 2022-03
View source (opens in a new tab)Accessed 2026-09-06The official endpoint blocks some automated and overseas-network requests; its current indexed article was rechecked on 2026-09-06.
Where to buy · read before you click
Shop this kokeshi style—with context
These are current keyword-matched eBay listings, not objects authenticated by Kokeshi Atlas. A seller’s title may be incomplete or mistaken, so compare observable features and evidence before treating an item as Naruko Kokeshi.
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