$2,250
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Description
18" (46 cm.) Mitsuore-ningyo (triple-jointed doll) of a merchant's child from Edo, in classic mitsuore construction with articulated hip, knees and ankles done in a flat-joint style allowing the doll to be positioned kneeling or standing independent of support, all wood construction covered in a fine white gofun, some restoration, large shaved pate with two side locks, padded silk and wire upper arms, right hand slightly closed to allow for a fan, sexed figure, wearing a plaid kimono and light green sash-style obi. Restored condition, wear to textiles. Edo Period, 19th century. Initially collected in Japan in the early 1950s through the curator of the Imperial Museum, Nishizawa Tekiho 1889-1965) by Colonel Robert and Eloise Thomas and part of their Yesteryear's Museum in Sandwich, MA. Exhibited Japan Society (1996). Published in Ningyo: The Art of the Human Figure, pages 22 and 90, and in Japanese Dolls: The Fascinating World of Ningyo, page 243. Records indicate that this doll originally came with a box with a personal inscription from Nishizawa Tekiho to Eloise Thomas. Ningyo artisans experimented with many different styles of joint construction beginning in the late 18th century. The flat-joint style, often referred to as gosho-style, represented the most stable, providing broad flat surfaces for the doll to rest on in its standing position and with hollowed out areas at the back of the thighs which allowed the lower legs to nestle in tightly, providing exceptional stability both kneeling and standing.