$800
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Description
13" (33 cm.) The seated portrait doll has finely-sculpted head and hands, pigmented gofun finish with fine sheen, very angular features, impressed age lines on forehead and sides of mouth, glass inset eyes, painted moustache and thick black brows with feathering, strong nose, closed mouth, short chin beard in slit, painted pate with feathering under silk fiber short hair, topknot. He is posed seated with cross-legs, his sculpted feet tucked under his silk brocade silk court costume patterned with undulating lines (tatewaku), and with plum-colored lining and brown silk trousers that are imprinted with circular motif. Excellent condition. Taisho era, circa 1915. He represents the poet-courtier, Sugawara No Michizane known as Tenjin, who became the victim of court politics and was banished from Kyoto. As years passed, his poetry was re-discovered, outstanding theatrical performances were presented as well as the Tenjin festival (Tenjin-Matsuri). Details of this story are told in Ningyo, The Art of the Japanese Doll by Alan Scott Pate, page 168.