Karauri Puppets

Karikuri puppets are traditional Japanese mechanized dolls or automan. They were orginally created during the 17th to 19th century and were primarily for entertainment purposes. Most of these earlier automan dolls functioned based off of clockwork using the wind up mechanism. Each one were intricately designed and engineered for different purposes. Some, like the one featured in the video, used a bow and arrow, others were used to pour and/or serve tea. Other karakuri dolls were used to put on plays. I find the engineering aspect to be extremely tedious and detailed. The clockwork engineering and kinetic mechanisms are something I find alluring. There is a simplicity in these dolls' actions that contracts with the complexity and consciousness of making these dolls function.