Asian Folk Dolls in General

As we stare at fine oriental dolls displayed as museum artifacts, Geoline Havener reminds us of the elders who created these wonderful objects. "The real treasures were not in the museums, but confined to their homes or nursing homes, lonely." Geoline also adds:

"These dolls were not only playthings and ornamental objects, but representatives of ancestors, deities, heroes and special people. I spent my childhood visiting the elders in my multi Asian community to listen to their special stores (the type of history you don't get in a history book) and folk tales. Ah, when the elders talk story, they breakout the dolls, figurines and puppets to animate their tales. Sometimes, simple carving tools would be unwrapped lovingly from oily rags or a dusty a treasure chest of threads and needles would come out from a long forgotten corner of a closet."

"Thus many of the folk dolls were not just toys or ornaments, but teaching tools which the elders used to pass their knowledge of ancestors, history, folklore, fishing, planting, phenology, etc. down to the grandchildren."

"Each folk doll took the deftness of highly skilled, mostly poor artisans. Ah to see an elder carve a head with simple tools and more importantly, tell the story of the image he carves is like watching a rose bud unfold into a fragrant beauty. (No Dremel or Ryobi roto tools to quicken the task and drown the story. I wish I had such patience which such simple tools. I don't know what I would do without my Dremel!) To watch another pair of old hands embroider life into a tiny robe with a pattern that sings a song older than any living tree is a treasure to behold."

"I love the beauty of Japanese dolls as well as the ancient drama of Chinese dolls, Korean dolls and Polynesian wood dolls. I wish I knew more about Vietnamese arts because many of their patterns intertwine with Chinese motifs in their own unique environment"

Geoline Havener

I hope to show some fine woodcarvings of ornate Indian dolls here soon. Please contact me if you have any examples to share.

   This web site explains the importance of fabulously dressed wood dolls in an Indian ceremony named Navratri or Kolu. The following quote comes from this page, it hints at the importance of wooden dolls in the Indian culture.
 

Krishna circa 1970 use of photo permitted by Theriault's

This Krishna is wearing a Kathakali dance ceremonial costume. Theriault's states that the doll is signed by the artist, circa 1970.  This carved wooden ceremonial doll has a painted green mask, exaggerated painted facial decoration, and a white paper beard. The costume is gold fabric embellished with braids, beads and other gold-like ornaments. The doll wears an elaborate headdress and ornate necklace. It is marked "Indian Costume Dolls, Zaver Mahal, India".

Puppet from India photo by Jean D. Lotz

India's Dancing Dolls I discuss and illustrate Indian puppets in the Lotz Asian Puppet Page.

BRIDE, GROOM and CHILD use of photo permitted by Theriault's

Door of Hope Mission Dolls The "Door of Hope" Christian mission was started in 1900 by 5 missionary ladies in Shanghai, China. These missionaries taught destitute, illiterate girls and women a trade so they could support themselves in an honorable manner. They were taught how to take care of themselves and given a basic education. The average heights are 10-1/2 inches to 13 inches for adults, 8-9 inches for children and 5 to 6-1/2 inches for Baby, Kindergarten Child, and Small Child in Silk. For more information: Lotz Door of Hope Page

Royal or Merchant Dolls ("Opera Dolls ")
The head is COMPOSITION. These are NOT WOOD DOLLS!

I suspect that the precursors to these composition dolls were very early carved wood dolls. I am looking for an older carved wood Royal Doll to illustrate this page and to validate this theory.

Lea Baten has pointed out that there are some finely made Chinese "opera dolls" with spiked fingers and lovely costumes. These dolls may have gotten the nickname "opera doll" because many were sold as souvenirs from performances of The Chinese Opera

The Ultimate Doll book by Caroline Goodfellow illustrates this type of doll made of composition on page 135. The composition looks like a dense gray clay which is molded over a neck made of a round wooden stick. The head is painted with very opaque white or flesh colored base coat so the composition material doesn't show at all except if and where the outer coating is chipped. When collectors notice the wooden dowel at the bottom of the neck, then they often mistakenly assume that the head of these dolls is carved from wood.

The facial features are generally delicately painted with fine brush strokes. Their long fingers look as if they are made from painted rolled paper.

Caroline Goodfellow states that many were converted into rod puppets.
 

Prince Royal Doll (compo) photo by Geoline Havener I still need a photo of an early wood version of this type of doll

Geoline Havener states:  "My grandmother is second generation plantation Hawaii Chinese. Her father was a merchant who had a wife in China and a wife in Hawaii (my great grandmother). He would travel back and forth between China and Hawaii. On his last visit to Hawaii, he brought back dolls from number 1 China wife for number 2 Hawaii wife and asked if number 1 China wife could have my grandmother as a daughter because she was childless. Great grandmother had no choice because she was not head of the household but insisted that dolls were not enough for my grandmother. So great grandfather traveled back to China to bring back more gifts from number 1 China wife to coax number 2 Hawaii wife into giving up her second daughter. On the way back to China, he became very ill and died at sea. The long fingernail dolls were not known as opera dolls to my grandmother, just royal or merchant dolls as only the royals and the wealthy merchants grew long fingernails or had their women's feet bound."

Chinese Automata
 

need a photo of Shinan-sha

Shinan-sha It is interesting that the earliest of karakuri ningyo was the shinan-sha which was brought to Japan by Chinese craftsmen in the 7th century. Its mechanism caused the figure with an outstretched arm to always point to the south, since the emperor had to always face South (a lucky direction) while traveling.

need a photo of this doll if it still exists

Distance measuring automation There was also a distance measuring automation with turning figurines and a seismograph in the Imperial Observatory of Peking, where bells fell into the mouth of frogs to determine the direction of earthquakes.

I would love to know more about the development of automata in China. See more information on Japanese karakuri.

Chinese Puppets

I discuss Chinese puppets in my Lotz Asian Puppet Page. The following is only a brief enticement to study more about these fabulous "dancing dolls".
 

Chinese Glove Puppets: Fierce Warriors photo thanks to Miller collection

Chinese Glove Puppet: Gentle Prophet? from the collection of J.A.D.E. members,  Marvin and Flora Herring

Underside of a Chinese Glove puppet
photo thanks to private collector