Passed
Click image to enlarge
Description
8" (20 cm.) Gosho-ningyo (palace doll), carved of wood and covered in a fine white gofun, with painted details, smiling expression, real hair, with exceptionally broad and round face and diminutive features, is posed standing wearing a silk kimono. Minor craquelure, loss of hair, fading of kimono. Edo Period, circa 1800. Gosho-ningyo were sometimes also referred to as zudai-ningyo (big head dolls) because of the relatively large size of their heads in relation to their bodies. Gosho-ningyo were intended to depict chubby boys as an auspicious sign of health and well-being. To achieve this, gosho artisans early arrived at a 3-part proportion where the head section, middle section and legs were each of three equal proportions, resulting in exceptionally large heads, but deftly conveying the sense of corpulent health.