BOYS' DAY FESTIVAL (Tango-no-sekku) DOLLS

BOYS' DAY FESTIVAL - a web page describing this festival.

MUSHA NINGYO (warrior dolls)

These dolls are sometimes referred to as "warrior dolls". The subject matter for musha ningyo can be historical in nature or mythological.

Early festival dolls were carved from wood, but other materials, and techniques were used in later dolls to economically mass-produce these very popular dolls. I hope to show photographs of the early carved carved wooden dolls.
 

click on image for full view 17" Musha Ningyo of Kato Kiyomasa c. 1800 Photo thanks to L'Asie Exotique

This large Japanese Boy's Day Doll represents Kato Kiyomasa, known as the fiercest warrior in Japan and general in charge of the Korea campaigns under Hideyoshi. He is shown here with a grimacing expression sitting on a camp stool holding his sword and Hideyoshi's gourd emblem standard.  He is costumed in elaborate brocades, lacquered paper armor with metal fittings, complete with long sword.  The head is carved of wood and covered in gofun with painted features and silk fiber hair. There are minor signs of wear, but otherwise it is in fine condition. 17" High. Edo Period. Circa 1800

click on image for full view 14" Musha Ningyo of Tyotomi Hideyoshi c. 1820 Photo thanks to L'Asie Exotique

This Japanese Boy's Day Doll is a large-scale figure representing a seated Toyotomi Hideyoshi.  The head, hands, and feet are made of carved wood covered in gofun with finely formed and painted features. He has silk fiber hair, and is wearing a metal cap, lacquered paper armor with metal fittings with a go-san-kin crest on the breast plate. His upper coat also bears a go-san-kin pattern. His garments are made of silk and paper (shu-chin) textiles. He holds a battle whisk in his right hand.

click on image for full view rare Edo doll without a gofun finish SHOKI, the demon queller from the collection of  J.A.D.E.members, Marvin and Flora Herring

Marvin Herring describes his Edo period SHOKI character doll:  "He is SHOKI, the demon queller, one of the heroes of the Boys' Day 'pantheon'. He's the product of a sensitive Edo period artist who must have been enamored of the grain of the wood in the magnificent face that he had carved, and he elected not to cover it with gofun (How lucky a decision!!). The superb grain the face, runs life-like, along the natural lines of the facial skin folds."  This is a case where the wood carver's aesthetics ruled over the gofun tradition.

Part of the thrill of owning Japanese dolls is learning more about the Story behind a doll.
Dr. Herring's Shoki story is only one of many versions of the Shoki saga
 

GIRLS' DAY FESTIVAL (Hina-matsuri) DOLLS
 

Tachi-bina Dolls Photo courtesy of the Kyoto National Museum Copyright 1996

HINA (Bina) DOLLS  Tachibina, or "standing dolls" (dolls that are standing) are a very old type of Japanese doll that continued to be made during the Edo period. Even though they are some of the oldest Japanese dolls, they have a stark very modern look to them - simplified forms and beautiful color and texture. The males have outstretched arms while the female figures are represented as simple wrapped cylinders. Lea Baten adds, "I prefer the terms "upright" or "straight" because despite their names, it is difficult if not impossible to make them stand without support. On old prints, they are usually shown leaning against small folding screens." Suwari-bina, or "sitting dolls were developed during the Edo period and became more popular because they were more stable and less likely to topple over in the festival display. There are many categories of sitting dolls based on their pose, shape of their heads, and clothing. I recommend that you visit the Kyoto National Museum web page for a detailed description of these different types of hina dolls.

Girl's Day doll displays are very popular and some types of hina dolls are very common. Because of their popularity they became mass-produced using lesser quality core materials hidden with a heavy coating of gofun. Hina dolls usually have carved wooden hands.

Kyoto National Museum displays several alters and describes the festival and the many styles of Hina dolls.

Characters in a Girl's Day Display: (I will expand this list as I find more examples of wooden Hina dolls)

Dairi-bina (Emperor and Empress)

Dolls representing an imperial couple are are dressed in the imperial fashions of a particular era. They are the most prominent dolls in the whole display.

Special Seikon-no-gi (Imperial Wedding) Emperor and Empress dolls are dressed in replicas of the costumes worn at an imperial wedding as a commemoration of the event.
 

use of photo permitted by Theriaults

Dairi-bina (Imperial Couple) Theriaults' description: "Early 20th century figures representing Japanese royalty. Each 12" seated doll has non-removable, elaborate and authentic costumes. They have glass inset eyes, painted features, painted black hair around the face topped with a human hair wig. Each doll has a carved wood head with a painted gofun surface, which makes it look like porcelain." I would have to question whether these two dolls truly have carved wood heads. As noted above, it is extremely difficult to tell what is under a thick, unbroken coating of gofun. I wouldn't expect to see a carved wood hina doll from this late date. Only one-of-a-kind specialty hina dolls would have been made by carving by this time.

click on image for large photo of these 2 dolls Edo period Empress Photo thanks to L'Asie Exotique

Dairi-bina (Imperial Couple) Alan Pate's description:  Japanese Girl's Day doll set of the Dairi-bina (Imperial Couple), the empress costumed in multi-layered brocades with phoenix and cloud embroidered sleeves, complete with an elaborate crown made of metals, wood, and glass beads. The emperor is clad in a black coat (possibly replaced) with embroidered front piece, sporting kanmuri cap with wood scepter. Both dolls have heads carved of wood and covered in burnished coats of gofun with painted features. There are minor chips to the emperor's hands and minor red stains to underside of empress' chin, otherwise this pair is in fine condition. 12" High. Edo Period.