Japanese Kokeshi Dolls Come to Life at Asia Society New York
Now through Saturday, Asia Society New York is hosting local artists Lisa and Jacob Hodsdon, who specialize in the traditional Japanese folk art of Kokeshi Dolls. Each doll is turned on a lathe, then painted by hand. A distinctive feature of the dolls is their lack of arms and legs—a characteristic that inspired the design of the Mii avatars on the Ninendo Wii game console. The colorful dolls have cheerful expressions and are believed to bring good luck. See the slideshow below for some examples of the Hodsdons' art and to get a taste of the work that goes into each one.
The Hodsdons' demonstrate their art today through Saturday (Dec. 2 through 4) from 1:00 to 4:00 pm. Find complete event details here. Stop by and see the dolls come to life—and even enter for a chance to win one of your very own!