Passed
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Description
20" (51 cm.) including stand. The Hoso-ningyo (talismanic doll) depicting a red faced Shojo (sea imp) with red silk fiber hair, red-tinted gofun, red painted eyebrows, and red silk brocade textiles, holding a sake bowl and ladle, is mounted on an elaborate stand with raised legs and a finely painted front, featuring plum trees, pine and a flying crane. Fading and wear to textiles. Edo Period, 19th century. Exhibited Mingei International Museum (2005), Published Ningyo: The Art of the Japanese Doll, p. 266-269. In traditional Japanese belief, smallpox and measles were caused by the hoso-gami (demon of small pox). The color red was believed to attract the demon away from the child, protecting him from these virulent afflictions. Dolls of red fabric were seen as particularly effective. Among the elite, dolls depicting the sake-loving red-faced Shojo were used as a particularly elegant way to protect children. Because frequently these dolls were burned after the danger had passed, very few examples remain today.