Lea Baten's unique and resourceful book assists in identifying the familiar and unfamiliar figurines known as ningyo, and explores the roots of the word itself: both meanings, "doll' and "human shape," are associated with play and ritual, life and death. These dolls are not necessarily just play-things with pretty faces, but range from mass-produced trivial toys to true art pieces and imposing ceremonial ornaments. Materials vary: they can be made from stone, clay, paper and wood; or brocade, ivory, pearl and lacquer. Many of the enormous variety of ningyo may be considered pieces of an unsolved puzzle that are in danger of disappearing without ever having been totally understood in the West. This book investigates the numerous meanings of the "human shape" in Japanese culture, from pre-history to the present, and explores the many, varied and subtle connotations ningyo have for the Japanese. This book not only identifies and describes ningyo, detailing their history and meaning, but also contains a comprehensive index and one of the most extensive bibliographies on the doll motif ever published in English. Scholarship, clear illustrations and a touch of humor guarantee a fresh and original approach to known and unknown ningyo.

Japanese Dolls: The Fascinating World of Ningyo, is a wealth of information for Japanese art collectors, Asian doll collectors and doll enthusiasts of all levels and interests. Full of beautiful photographs, the book details 18 kinds of widely collected, obtainable and affordable, antique and vintage dolls and figurines (ningyo). Author Alan Scott Pate—the leading American expert on Japanese dolls—writes in illuminating detail about the traditions of each type of doll and shares practical tips on how to collect this amazing Japanese art form. Included in this guide to Japanese ningyo are: Festival dolls: hina-ningyo, musha-ningyo, tableau dolls Display dolls: saga-ningyo, gosho-ningyo, isho-ningyo, iki-ningyo Wood dolls: kamo-ningyo, nara-ningyo, kokeshi-ningyo Clay dolls: fushimi-ningyo, hakata-ningyo Mechanical dolls: karakuri-ningyo, kobe-ningyo Theatrical dolls: bunraku-ningyo, takeda-ningyo Play dolls: ichimatsu-ningyo, keue saiko

An inside look at kokeshi dolls: from the skilled woodworkers behind their design to their important cultural significance. Kokeshi are the simple and charming traditional Japanese dolls characterized by their cylindrical shape and lack of arms and legs. Historically made as children's toys in Japan's northern region of Tohoku, they have now become a popular collector's item and have even inspired famous architects and artists. In this visual guide, readers will find: An overview of the different types of dolls How kokeshi dolls are crafted, including information on tools and woods used Interviews with leading kokeshi craftspeople worldwide Detailed information about both traditional dolls and the modern ones being crafted today An exploration of the cultural significance of kokeshi dolls--both historically and for the areas of northern Japan that rebuilt themselves after their region was decimated by an earthquake and tsunami in 2011 A guide to visiting Japan's kokeshi regions Information on how to buy the dolls--either directly from Japanese artisans or stockists worldwide Filled with artist interviews, gorgeous photos and firsthand travel experience, author Manami Okazaki has created a book to be enjoyed by all--from serious collectors to woodcrafters, interior designers, architects, armchair travelers and anyone with an interest in Japanese culture and travel.

A book devotes to Japanese antique dolls : their history, varieties, identification, evaluation, and care.

Ningyo: The Art of the Japanese Doll features over 250 unique photographs as well as extensive commentary and background history. Japanese dolls (ningyo) have played an important role in Japanese art and culture since its earliest stages of development, as talismanic figures, centerpieces, in elaborate festivals, medical study tools, theater distractions, decorative objects, and avidly collected art forms, as well as childhood playthings. Ningyo: The Art of the Japanese Doll is the most comprehensive book on antique Japanese dolls and figurines published in English. The book focuses on the many types of Japanese dolls: gosho: palace dolls hina: Girl's Day dolls musha: warrior dolls for the Boy's Day Festival isho: fashion dolls The principle forms of the dolls and their history, stylistic development, cultural context, and economic imperatives are discussed against the backdrop of Edo-period society and popular culture. Beautifully detailed color photographs of ningyo drawn from private collections, many of which are published here for the first time, as well as images of related materials selected from celebrated museums and temple collections, such as folding screens, woodblock prints, sculpture, painting ceramics, and textiles, help place the dolls in context. Ningyo: The Art of the Japanese Doll is a fascinating book for anyone interested in Asian doll art and doll collecting.

Ichimatsu: Japanese Play Dolls is a lavishly illustrated art historical exploration of the Japanese doll commonly known as Ichimatsu. Beginning with its associations with the celebrated Kabuki actor Sanogawa Ichimatsu I in the early 18 the century, this book traces the evolution of ichimatsu-ningyo from static display doll, to articulated play doll, to status-associated gift dolls, to diplomatic envoy. It includes a detailed discussion of the jointed doll known as a mitsuore, looking at its technical evolution as well as its place in the Japanese doll economy of the late 18th and early 19th centuries. It covers, as well, the soft-bodied play doll of the mid 19th century known as a daki-ningyo and its impact on the evolution of Western play dolls. Within the 20th century, we explore how this particular form of doll evolved into depictions of young girls and boys dressed in their formal best that served as special gifts for festivals as well as weddings, detailing its surprising use as a diplomatic gift beginning with the Japanese Friendship Doll exchange of 1927, but also including less-known cultural exchanges of the 1930s. For much of its history, ichimatsu were the product of the proverbial "unknown craftsman," with no real identifiable makers. But, beginning in the late 19th and early 20th centuries, lineages specializing in these beautiful dolls became established. This book presents these lineages as well providing biographical profiles of their most famous practitioners. The book includes a discussion of the "state of play" today, introducing modern masters of the form. For the collector there is a section detailing the salient points one should consider when evaluating an ichimatsu. And we conclude with an artist signature index allowing non-Japanese collectors better identify their dolls. Each section is enlivened with the use of a combination of archival as well as full color imagery highlighting this beautiful doll form.