Passed
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Description
18" (46 cm.) The Ayatsuri-ningyo (marionette) depicting a young boy as a Sanbaso performer, has well carved wood head with painted details, silk fiber hair, and is dressed in silk brocade kimono with large peony pattern and rich blue silk brocade hakama trousers with leg strings drawn closed and secured with blue silk brocade bands, tall striped cap of the Sanbaso with sun and moon pattern in red on opposing sides and stitched silk headband at base of cap, and is holding a suzu rattle in his right hand and a fan in his left; 7 strings run from legs, body and arms up to a black lacquered paddle. Showa Era, early 20th century. Ayatsuri or stringed marionette puppetry was a popular tradition in Japan beginning in the Edo Period, but was more restricted to street theater. On New Year's in particular, itinerant puppeteers would travel from house to house and perform the ayatsuri sanbaso as a purifying and entertaining ritual. This popular interpretation of Sanbaso was even incorporated as a distinct Kabuki performance towards the end of the Edo Period with an actor pretending to be an ayatsuri sanbaso.