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Description
30" (76 cm.) h. including umbrella and stand. 20" x 12" base. An exceptionally bold and engaging takeda-ningyo depicting a martial figure in a wide-legged stance has head and hands of wood, covered with a fine white gofun, painted details with traces of kuamdori style actor's makeup, and blue shading to chin to accent virility, exaggerated features with deeply furrowed brow and down turned mouth, hair in a formed topknot, wearing rich blue silk brocade kimono with dragon and cloud motif shown with sleeves thrown back to reveal inner chirimen silk crepe kimono with embroidered dragon designs on sleeve, birodo black velvet accents on collar and inner breast plate, metal bosses, tall wooden geta sandals, lacquered paper eboshi cap, and two red scabbard long swords at hip, holding aloft a janomegasa paper parasol with a snake-eye pattern, and posed on a black lacquered base with embroidered silk crepe aperture cloth. Edo Period, 19th century. Exhibited Mingei International Museum (2005), Morikami Museum (2012). Published Ningyo: The Art of the Japanese Dolls p.245, Entertaining the Gods and Man: Japanese Dolls and the Theater, p. 76. Takeda-ningyo were deeply intertwined with Edo Kabuki culture, featuring themes and posturing directly related to their theatrical subjects. The tall geta sandals and the snake-eye parasol were typical props used in depictions of Soga no Goro as Sukeroku, a martial dandy who frequented the brothel districts of Edo, fighting villains.