Passed
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Description
9" (23 cm.) Classic all-wood Gosho-ningyo (Palace Doll) covered overall in a fine gofun with painted details and real hair, is posed seated with both legs thrust forward, wearing a lacquered paper eboshi court cap and silk haragake bib with embroidered designs; his left arm is extended and in his left upturned palm rests a papier mache turtle with long tail of silk threads and an elaborate arrangement of silk pine trees, peach blossoms, and plums symbolizing Mount Horai, the island of the Taoist immortals. Some lifting of gofun, loss of hair, minor wear to turtle. Edo Period, 19th century. Turtles often served as symbols of longevity and it was believed that the oldest turtles had long tails of seaweed that stuck to them in their advanced age; the longer the tail, the older the turtle, here represented by long colorful silk threads.