They are wooden robots. They are, obviously, from Japan.

They are called ‘Karakuri Ningyo:’ ‘karakuri,’ to mean a mechanical object which takes a person by surprise, and ‘ningyo,’ to mean a puppet, doll, or even effigy. Their mechanisms are a brilliant interplay of gears, sand, and even mercury - a combination that allowed some of the world’s first robots, without a single screw.

In 18th century Japan, they could serve tea. Two tea-drinkers would set down a cup of tea on a karakuri’s tray, and the weight of the cup would trigger the doll’s internal clockwork. It would turn around, and deliver the tea straight to the seated guest. Some dolls would also fire tiny, tiny arrows from tiny, tiny bows. They would often score a bullseye.

These puppets, in no small part, underlie Japan’s love of robots. They help to explain why some Japanese treat even the machines in an auto shop with tenderness, sometimes giving them names. It also helps to make sense of Astroboy.