$18,000
Sold
sold
Click image to enlarge
Description
18" (46 cm.) Carved wooden head with elegantly-shaped face, full lower cheeks and chin, fine lustrous gofin finish, inset glass eyes in half-moon shape, painted lashes, slightly-parted lips, defined teeth, wooden body with slender torso and limbs (except original silk crepe padded upper arms), and with flat-cut jointing at hips, knees and ankles (triple jointing or mitsuore), and concave shaping of back legs to allow extra articulation, elegantly expressive fingers. Wearing vibrantly patterned purple silk crepe kimono with aqua and white patterned flowers, fawn-spot silk crepe obi with extended back train, and red silk under kimono. She has an elaborate silk fiber wig decorated with tortoise shell comb, that is interchangable with five additional wigs which are included; each wig with ornamental hair ornaments (kanzashi), each with original wooden stand. The orginal box with Namikawa signature is included. Excellent condition. Meiji era, circa 1890, by Namikawa of Kyoto. Kueueya Namikawa who specialized in this model of doll with finely-made wigs of silk fiber or human hair decorated with combs, sticks, hair tools, ribbons, and flowers. Namikawa created luxury dolls for the Japanese market, as well as exporting his works to the Western market as indicated by the English paper label in the doll's original box. The doll is featured in Ningyo, The Art of the Japanese Doll, by Alan Scott Pate, page 217. Rarity factors of the doll include her triple-jointed body articulation (mitsuore) and her interchangable wigs (katsura); to find them both in one doll, and in this impeccable condition with original box bearing the maker's signature is extraordinary.