Shoki photo thanks to Marvin and Flora Herring |
from Dr. Marvin Herring |
Lotz
Interests:
Japanese
Wood Dolls
General
Background Information
by
Jean D. Lotz
A
Non-Commercial, Educational Resource Copyright © 1996+
Jean D. Lotz Last Updated: 6/22/02
I am impressed by the respect that the Japanese government and people give to their art and their artists - five doll artists have been given the title "Living National Treasure".
The use of wood in Japanese dolls:
It is difficult to trace the use of wood in Japanese dolls. Some Japanese dolls are obviously wood, allowing the natural grain and wood qualities to show. But most Ningyo are thickly coated with various substances completely hiding all traces of the substrate. For example: Gofun is used to cover many different materials, so often someone will refer to these gofun-coated dolls as "gofun-head dolls". This would be equivalent to calling a British Queen Anne wood doll a "gesso-head doll" since it has a thick coating of gesso applied to the wood to provide a smooth surface for painting. This term, "gofun-head dolls", doesn't tell us anything about the material the doll is actually made of.
Since wood expands and contracts with changes in the atmosphere, wood doesn't provide a stable substrate for rock hard, non flexible finishes which are used to achieve the ideal flawless, surfaces so prized by Japanese artisans. As a result old wood Ningyo will often have obvious cracks in the outer coatings.
Wood was a very popular material for doll making in the Edo period and earlier. It is understandable that the use of wood was largely replaced by substances which could provide a more suitable, stable foundation for these popular coatings. Woodcarving is also NOT the fastest way to make items. To make dolls faster and less expensive, wood was substituted by materials that could be pressed or poured into molds. Also wood is used in combination with other materials. UFDC defines a "wood doll" as any doll with a wood head, so any combination material dolls are "wood dolls" as long as they have a wood head. Wood head and hands may be found on a papier-mâché, wood composition, or fiber wrapped wire armature body.
Please
let me know if you know the names of any modern or contemporary Japanese
artisans maintaining the tradition of hand carving specialty dolls of any
type.
| How
can you tell if it is wood and the age of a gofun-coated doll?
"In determining age based on the core material, wood is generally the oldest. One way to identify the wood body without seeing the wood underneath the gofun is to look for shrinkage cracks which may appear on the surface of the gofun, remotely similar to the crackle in ceramic glazes. The ceramic gosho are considered to be the latest examples. The cold nature of the ceramic makes them readily identifiable by touch. A pierced hole somewhere in the body for the firing of the clay and a hollow feel to the object are also indicative of a ceramic base." (hints from Arts of Asia vol. 26 Number 4 - "GOSHO-NINGYO Palace Dolls from the Ayervais Collection" by Timothy Mertel) Timothy Mertel, L'Asie Exotique |
More on the Net about Japanese dolls
One of the most exciting elements of studying Japanese dolls and puppets is seeing the variety and extent of animation in many of these objects: See Bunraku, Karakuri, Kobe, and Saga Ningyo below.
Japanese dolls offer a great opportunity to learn more about the Japanese people, their history and culture. Marvin Herring states that you can call some Japanese dolls "Story Book Dolls", not as this term is used in the west to mean dolls which accompany or illustrate written and published children's story books. He uses this term, because many of the dolls illustrate a fable, story, historical event, or represent famous characters in history or in plays. So as a collector you have a challenge to research and learn more information about the story and significance of your dolls. (See the story of SHOKI below.)
The Japanese also love symbols and many dolls are holding special objects or their clothes are decorated with special symbols. Therefore a Japanese doll collector has another opportunity to learn more about a particular doll by researching the symbology used. For example: Gosho dolls (gift dolls) often hold special items that can be researched to learn the purpose or special wishes that accompany these little babies.
A small list of Japanese "periods" and "eras" will help you decipher some of the information that you may encounter in your study of any Japanese art.
Edo Period refers to those years when the Tokugawa Shogunate was in power after they moved the capital to Edo (Tokyo). Sub-periods like Genroku are named after an imperial reign, and are convenient subdivisions. Meiji, Tasiho, and Showa are also sub-periods representing imperial reigns. It is easier for me to divide the very long Edo period into: early-edo, mid-edo, and late-edo.
The following listing is provided by Lea Baten:
Nengo
or Imperial Reigns
There are many others before these dates, beginning with Jimmu Tenno, the first emperor (660 BC).
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TYPES OF MATERIALS USED AS SUBSTRATES:
carved wood
Part of the thrill
of owning Japanese dolls is learning more about the Story behind a doll.
Dr. Herring's story is only one of the many versions of the Shoki saga:
|
Shoki photo thanks to Marvin and Flora Herring |
from Dr. Marvin Herring |
NOTE:
Since the Lotz Doll pages celebrates the artistry of WOOD DOLLS,
I am primarily interested in Japanese dolls that are obviously wood, traditionally
wood, and the very oldest dolls with the traditional opaque coatings since
these would have been likely carved from wood. Although this page is limited
to wood dolls, I hope my page inspires you to search for more information
about other types of Asian dolls.