Doll

Doll

Decorative Sitting Doll of Nobunaga used for Boy's Day display see Antique Japanese Festival Dolls Fig. 17 p. 84. A: Head. Removable; made of carved wood dipped in gofun; painted pale black upward sweeping eyebrows; closed red painted lips; chin line emphasized with slight groove; hairline is painted with feather-like strokes. Hair appears to be silk fiber which is swept up at the crown tied with purple silk cord in X shapes all the way to the end of the pony tail; the loose end rests at center front hair which is missing on the back only the black painted scalp remains. B: Body. Sitting posture with closed right hand extending to lap left hand turned up slightly with fingers molded to hold something; right leg is bent at knee and left leg extends forward. Wears red silk laced armor (chest shoulders back 3 four-panel protective armor boards in front and 2 three-panel armor on rear. All armor is made of papier mache painted in metallic paint. Top edge of chest armor is metal adorned with curved design of clouds and moon the lower edge is shaped like crests of ocean waves. On upper sides are 2 metal bosses with ring at the center attached over the upper red silk laced area. All paneled armor is red silk laced with metal edge adornments of the curved design described above. The exception to this is a small red laced panel adorned with purple and white silk tassel hanging from his right shoulder in front. From the left shoulder hangs a gourd-shaped board with a silk white and purple tassel. Both shoulder armor have 2-layered paper brocade pads red and beige on the rest of the shoulder. The back armor is plain with 4 red X laced and silver with gold centered metal basses with a ring in the center through which a purple silk cord is attached for securing things such as arrows. Wide cream colored silk crepe belt padded at the front and tied in a knot; tiger skins over the thighs appears to be made of plant fiber and a fur-like material at the outer lower edges. Kimono made of paper and silk brocade in mustard yellow and brown lined with gray silk damask. Around the neck the collars of three layers of off-white undergarments can be seen. The feet are made of painted wood in black covered with black fiber representing fur which is mostly gone. There is a hand guard on his right hand. C: Scabbard is covered with fibers to achieve the appearance of fur with 2 brass metal decorations attached by off-white silk cord. Efu-no-tachi (sword curved with scabbard covered with fur) the handle is wrapped with off-white silk flat cord with hishi-gata (diamond shaped) as a design. D: Sword is drawn completely from the sheath and is made of metal; sword guard is shaped in a wari-bishi (split diamond shape) Condition: Behind his left ear there are 2 cracks back hair is missing. Kimono is soiled frayed especially around the waist down.

1993.004.120