$17,000
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sold
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Description
17" (43 cm.) lord on horseback, 17" l. horse, 10" attendants. Each of the five dolls has sculpted head, gofun finish, glass eyes, and exquisitely-painted detail of painted features, the young lord in seated pose with hands clasped for holding reins, and wearing purple silk crepe kimono with crest design on the lapels, sleeves and back that is a symbol of military nobility, and unique very bold design with gold thread embroidery on the lower sleeves, silk padded cap under gold lacquered jingasa helmet with crest design, and gold brocade trousers. The four attendants are uniquely sculpted and painted, each with distinctively different face, lightly tinted complexion, bald pate with slit-attached silk fiber sidelocks and backlock, mounted standing on pebbled wooden bases with chip-carved edging. They are wearing matching kimonos with crested designs on the lapel, behind the elbows and center of the back (which match the crest on the young lord's kimono), and tightly woven flat hats. The attendants wear identically-styled trousers and inner jacket with a variety of silk fabrics and designs, and each carries two swords. The paper mache horse has a white silk crepe "fur" and real hair mane and tail, silk fiber skirt, purple and white chirimen reins, black lacquer saddle with silk print seat. Meiji era, circa 1900, the processional set is known as Daimyo Gyoretsu. Each year the daimyo lords were obliged to relocate, alternating between residing in their own domain and residing in Edo, in an attempt to weaken their local influence. By 1900, the procession was largely ceremonial, providing a grand festival day for entire communities. The set is impeccably preserved in original boxes, two with original paper label crest indicating the atelier of Maruhei Okiheizo of Kyoto. In the mid-1800s Maruhei Okiheizo became recognized as one of the premier ningyo dolllmakers in Japan, officially designated as supplier to the imperial household of very luxurious ningyo in all categories. To find such a set intact, with signatures by such a noted dollmaker, and extraordinary details such as symbols of nobility on each, signature on original boxes, and wonderful facial modeling with distinctive expression on each is extraordinary.