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Japanese Clay Doll, Beautiful Oiran Geisha

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Directory: Antiques:Regional Art:Asian:Japanese:Dolls: Pre 1920: Item # 96095

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Japanese Clay Doll, Beautiful Oiran Geisha

Very impressive Japanese clay doll, 17 inches tall oiran geisha ningyo (doll). When the hina dolls were limited only to a few wealthy people, these clay dolls were for regular people (more than 90 percent of the population). Most of the clay dolls in the mid Edo period (1603-1868) have their roots in the Fushimi clay dolls of the Kyoto area which were originally sold as souvenirs to the pilgrims on the way to the Fushimi Inari Shrine. While the early clay dolls in the Edo period still carried religious meanings, displaying dolls in individual homes (in late Edo) was a parent’s prayer for the well being of their children at a time when medicine was much less advanced. They were displayed for the Sekku Hina Festival time for the girls before a new plantation began and also displayed for Boy's Day in May. The popularity of clay dolls quickly declined when cloth dolls became available to the common people with the development of the steam engine. Many clay dolls were thrown away after earthquake damages or others.

This doll is a "tayuu or taifu", the highest ranking Oiran (similar to later Geisha - they tied their obi sash in the front) in the Edo period. These young women were sold to Yoshiwara by poor farmer's families often to pay debt or support other siblings. The face of this unsophisticated clay doll is beautiful but has a strange air of saddness. This doll arrived from Japan with a damage in one area, the bottom, front to front area (one or two clean broken pieces). We need to mention here that some of the clay dolls that we purchased in Japan already had some repairs done. We wanted to do whatever we could to save this doll that we decided to have it professionally restored. The job was well done. This is one beautiful doll that our photos failed to show.


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