Japanese Antique Dolls

David Gribbin

In the West, dolls are the very symbol of childhood, designed to be cuddled. and played with, dressed and undressed, pampered, and finally packed away or, for the rare lucky doll, displayedwhen their owners reach adulthood. In Japan, by contrast, dolls are the ultimate showpiece for the traditional crafts master woodworkers, weavers, lacquer artists, painters, and metalworkers all demonstrate their genius in these remarkable works of art. Exhibited in glass cases or brought out from storage once a year during the Boys' Day festival or hina festival, these sophisticated art objects seem designed to take the breath away, to entrance and bewitch with their beauty, to provoke the envy of those who own none, in short to be the "playthings" of adults more than of children. Strong is the person who dares play with these seemingly priceless treasures and stronger still is he who can resist their charms. Luckily for the collector, dolls are one of the few Japanese antiques that have survived the ravages of time ; fine-quality, vintage dolls are still available and at affordable prices. All that has been missing is information on their history, varieties, identification, evaluation, and care. Japanese Antique Dolls, the first book in English devoted to the subject, offers this and much more. An array of striking color plates (printed in large format to allow for close scrutiny) illustrates every major variety of doll from the first talismanic paper dolls, which were invested with the power to absorb evil influences, and the primitive wooden kokeshi dolls, little more than a cylinder with a sphere fora head, up to the complex mechanical dolls powered by whalebone to serve tea or bow and the exquisite sets portraying the imperial household and their possessions ox carts, folding screens, lacquer dishes, and myriad other accessoriescrafted in miniature.