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Description
23" (58 cm.) Powerful large-scale isho-ningyo representing Daikoku (the god of daily wealth), is depicted as a wealthy merchant, his head of carved wood covered in a fine white gofun, with laughing expression and deep creases, large pendant earlobes (indicating his divinity), lightly painted moustache and chin beard, unusual grey blue hair pulled into a topknot exposing an expansive pate, well formed hands, and wearing a fine silk haori overcoat with a tatewaku undulating line pattern and flying cranes with velvet trim at the collar, his hakama trousers of a sophisticated futae orimono (double brocade) with a sacred treasures motif, and a rich purple silk brocade kimono secured by a silk brocade obi and an additional white silk sash, short sword at hip, right hand holding a fan. Some wear to silk brocade. Edo Period. The doll was Initially collected in Japan in the early 1950s through the curator of the Imperial Museum, Nishizawa Tekiho (1889-1965) by Colonel Robert and Eloise Thomas and became part of their Yesteryear's Museum in Sandwich, MA. Exhibited Mingei International Museum (2005). Published Ningyo: Yesteryear's Doll Museum Collection (1983), p. 30-31 and Ningyo: The Art of the Japanese Doll, p. 194. Daikoku was one of the shichigofukujin (seven gods of good fortune) and his close association with money made him particularly appealing to the merchant classes. His depiction as an affluent Edo merchant can be seen as both aspirational and satiric as the merchant class was held in low esteem within the traditional Confucian hierarchy, but was also the most powerful class economically.