It is said that Naruko Kokeshi began in the Bunka-Bunsei era of the Edo Period, about 200 years ago, when people who made a living as woodworkers in the deep mountains gave kokeshi dolls to their children. Kokeshi dolls, which have long been loved by children in the deep mountain as toys, later began to be sold as souvenirs and have developed into an adults’ collecting hobby and for ornamental purposes. Naruko Kokeshi dolls representing cute young girls from Michinoku (Tohoku) have the beauty of simplified shaping expressed through the minds of their creators who live surrounded by the nature in the mountain villages. Their unique shapes and patterns have been handed down to the present day. The most distinctive feature of Naruko Kokeshi dolls is the way that they squeak when you turn their head. The torso with bulging shoulders thins down a little towards the central part and gets thicker again towards the hem. This stable silhouette is another feature of Naruko Kokeshi dolls. With regard to the pattern, the gorgeous “Kasanegiku” pattern, created by drawing layers of a chrysanthemum viewed from the side is typical, and the “Hishigiku” pattern, featuring a large-flowered chrysanthemum from the front on the lower part of the body is also frequently used. In this set both designs are represented. The largest of these dolls is 45 cm tall, the others are between 38 and 18 cm tall. They are in great shape for their age and a wonderful addition to or start of a Kokeshi collection