Kokeshi (こけし こけし, kokeshi), are Japanese dolls, originally from northern Japan.
They are handmade from wood, have a simple trunk and an enlarged head
with a few thin, painted lines to define the face. The body has a floral
design painted in red, black, and sometimes yellow, and covered with a
layer of wax. One characteristic of kokeshi dolls is their lack of arms
or legs. The bottom is typically marked with the signature of the
artist.

Kokeshi were first produced by kijishi (木地師), artisans proficient with a potter's wheel, at the Shinchi Shuraku, near the Tōgatta Onsen in Zaō^[2] from where kokeshi-making techniques spread to other spa areas in the Tōhoku region. It is said that these dolls were originally made during the middle of the Edo period (1600–1868) to be sold to people who were visiting the hot springs in the north-east of the country.

-Wikipedia




works best with no arms