Passed
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Description
22" (56 cm.) Musha-ningyo (warrior doll) depicting Ryujin, the Undersea Dragon God, for the Boy's Day Display, having head and hands made of wood and covered in a red pigmented gofun with a fierce grimacing expression, bared teeth, overly large inset glass eyes, and vibrant red hair capped by an elaborate papier mache dragon which extends down his back, is wearing a sea green silk brocade outer coat secured at the waist by a formal court style belt with brocade capped ends, over a gold silk brocade inner kimono tucked into white figured silk hakama trousers, holding the tide-shifting jewel in his right hand and exotic spear in his left, and mounted on a wooden platform base with an elaborately carved frontispiece. Minor wear to textiles, repair to left hand. Late Edo Period, mid 19th century. Exhibited Mingei International Museum (2005). Published in Ningyo: The Art of the Japanese Doll, p. 149. In the Boy's Day context, Ryujin is most noted for supplying to Empress Jingu the tide-shifting gems which allowed her armada to sweep in and decimate the Korean navy, paving her way to victory.