Category:Japanese Dolls (display): Difference between revisions

Display Area
19 - Antique and Vintage Dollhouse Miniatures (display) Arch Two
––   01   02   03   04   05   06   07   08   09 10   11   12   13   14   15   16   17   18   19 20   21   22   23   24   25   26   27   28   29   30   31   32   33   34   35   36   37   38   39 40   41   42   43   44   45   46   47   48   49 50   51   52   53   54   55   ––   57   58   –– ––   61   62   63   64   65   66   67   ––   –– ––   71   72   73   74   ––   76   77   78   79 80   81   82   83   84   85   86   ––   ––   ––

A wall display cabinet of Japanese traditional dolls, near Puppet Corner, in Arch Two is an interesting contrast to the more Western toys in the Museum.

Called Ningyō, meaning ‘of human shape’, Japanese dolls have been crafted and used in Japanese culture for thousands of years. The first dolls can be dated back to almost 8000 BC/BCE, however, the height of doll-making is known to have occurred between 1603 and 1867 during the Edo period when Japanese trade relations were minimal and domestically-produced luxury goods were rigorously perfected.

Dolls have been profoundly bound-up in Japanese life, their uses ranging from simply toys and good luck charms to children, to powerful protective charms, ceremonial and religious icons, or representations of life events or the imperial court, and even as wedding gifts and honoured diplomatic gifts for political purposes. Bound up in the Japanese pagan religion, Shinto, dolls were believed to hold great spiritual power, due to their close likeness of the human form. Notoriously, dolls have been used for Hinamatsuri, (Girls’ Day, March 3rd) and Kodomo no Hi, (Children’s Day, May 5th, derived from Tango no Sekku, Boy’s Day).

Inside the cabinet

Assorted Hina Dolls There appears to be another set of court ministers, smaller, with more plastic-looking faces (shelf on the left) There also appears to be a number of court guards, warriors and samurais around cabinet who would sometimes appear within the Hina doll collection on a sixth tier, as guards of the Emperor and Empress. For example, (forefront of the cabinet) there are two low-ranking male figures, one of which holds a broom. And (at the back of the cabinet) there appears to be two court ladies dressed in black and pink kimonos. Large Samurai Doll – (top right of cabinet) dressed in purple and gold with red embellishment and traditional armour. Probably part of another Hina Doll set originally, made from gofun with glass eyes.

The man pulling woman in a cart – both dolls appear to be made from gofun, they also appear cheaply and comparatively more poorly made than the other dolls on display. The two depict a man, possibly a servant or peasant, probably transporting his wife, or a noble-woman by cart.