$35,000
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Description
16" (41 cm.) All carved wood including upper arms, large rounded head and facial shape, gofun finish, painted black hair with very delicate feathering lines around the forehead, unpainted bald spot at top of head (nakasori), painted features, very narrow defined eye sockets with heavy eyelids, mouth sculpted as though open with painted teeth, sturdy legs posed for standing, sexed, arms held in front of body with cupped palms, wearing a red silk crepe (chirimen) kimono with padded hem, rare narrow sleeve openings (kosode), matching narrow tie belt, and rich embroidery of a variety of flowers and long-tailed birds. Generally excellent, few very minor paint rubs on hair, age wear at lower left hem of kimono, and the original wooden box is included. Edo period, circa 1770. It was the tradition that ladies of the court, eventually being retired to a nunnery, brought with them the ningyo they had assembled during their court days. This doll, whose age, workmanship, and fine state of preservation is indication of its court origin, is an example of that doll referred to as "Imperial Nunnery Gosho", very few examples are known to exist today. The doll is photographed and discussed in Ningyo, The Art of the Japanese Doll by Alan Scott Pate, page 42.