Passed
Click image to enlarge
Description
20" (51 cm.) figure. 27" including stand. The large-scale Takeda-ningyo (theatrical doll) depicting Shiokumi, the Salt Maiden, having head and hands of wood covered in a fine white gofun, with painted features including green lower lip, silk fiber hair in an elaborate coif with bekko hair pin. is mounted on an elaborate wood base with a papier mache simulated rock outcrop with crashing waves, dressed in silk brocade kimono featuring banded flower and autumnal leaf design, with outer sleeves thrown back to reveal stunning densely-embroidered silk crepe under kimono with flower and cloud design with couched gold-wrapped thread outlines and accents, her right hand holding a fan and her left holding a carrying pole suspending two papier mache buckets for collecting sea brine. Repairs to papier mache waves, fading to textiles. Edo Period, 19th century. Takeda-ningyo were Edo-made dolls designed to commemorate popular scenes from Kabuki. While the vast majority of takeda-ningyo are male, female images do occur, usually tied to nagauta dance interludes found within the Kabuki schedule. This example, Shiokumi, was first interpreted in Noh theater, and is a classic tale telling of two sisters, Matsukaze and Murasame, who both fall in love with Ariwara no Yukihira, a courtier/poet who has been temporarily exiled to Suma Bay where the two sisters work collecting sea brine to make salt. When called back to court he leaves them his robe and cap with the promise to send for them soon. He never returns and Matsukaze takes to donning his robe and court cap and dancing in them imagining their reunion as she slowly descends into madness.