Passed
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Description
19" (48 cm.) The unusual large-scale karakuri gosho-ningyo is all-wood covered in a fine white gofun, with inset glass eyes, silk fiber hair, open mouth expression, painted details, sexed figure, and is depicted seated with legs thrust forward, wearing a sleeveless chirimen silk crepe vest with black silk collar and supplemental embroidery over a silk brocade haragake bib with bold dragon and cloud motif. The gosho is holding a dramatic and well-carved mask of a fox whose open mouth exposes fierce rows of teeth; when the small knob at the gosho's back is activated, the arms raise and lower the mask to the his face. Some light craquelure, replaced collar on vest. Late Edo/Early Meiji, Mid-19th century. Exhibited Morikami Museum (2012), Published Nihon no Ningyo (1955) p. 15; Entertaining the Gods and Man: Japanese Dolls and the Theater, p. 101. Foxes occupy a rich and important place in Japanese culture. Serving as a messenger for Inari, the rice goddess, they are also tricksters and shape-shifters that can create both magic and mayhem. As the vast majority of karakuri gosho-ningyo were made of papier mache, this all-wood example, particularly in this scale, is exceptionally rare.