Posted 11 years ago
ATTWOOD
(155 items)
I am not sure of age but I bought from a lady who tells me they were her deceased grandmothers.They are sweet ladies and I particularly love the paddle fan and headpiece in the first photo.They are plastic of some sort. I will be visiting Japan next April and expect to see lots of geishas.I think they may be 1970's.The base is a laquered wood
I wondered why the heads felt so fine.I usually test things with my teeth.(I know Naughty) but they felt like nothing I could describe, so my guess was some type of plastic.They are in excellent condition. will go and get them out to check again..hehehe
Thanks Jim
they are very beautiful:)!
yes Jim, the head and hands are very fine like shell but their clothing isn't silk but satin. The hair feels real too.
I was just saying to hubby this morning on what a lovely bunch of girls.
Thanks for the love Sean.
Hello,
Your ladies are striking, in such elegant poses and I think the intricate accessories and delicate hair ornaments make them really stand out. With all of them displayed together you can have your own Gion hanagasa geisha parade!
Reading your description reminded me of an interesting trend I have noticed coming out of China during the past few years to create exquisite Japanese geisha ningyo. Most recently I have even seen some in the costumes of traditional Japanese fables, folk dances and Kabuki dramas on these geisha. The dolls appear to be similar in size and construction to the popular dolls featuring famous Chinese Opera characters and mythological goddesses.
Being neither Chinese or Japanese I can’t begin to guess what is behind this recent development considering the 2 neighbor’s long and often acrimonious history, but I have also noticed many modern samurai dolls are coming from China, too!
The reason your dolls bring this to mind is what you said about the kimono being satin rather than silk, and the hands and head being a smooth, delicate plastic material rather than gofun. These are both features of the Chinese versions. One other identifying hallmark I have noticed on the ningyo from China is 2 ribbons coming from the hairstyle on the doll’s crown down toward the hairline at each side of the forehead and it seems a couple of your dolls have their tresses in this fashion, too.
Of course, I can’t say for certain, these are just some details I have noticed. In a way this is a new twist on the centuries old Japanese ningyo, the Kara-ko, or Chinese boy doll that has been a popular item in Japan since the Edo era. Maybe someone in the forum knows more about this new trend.
Wherever your bijin hail from, they are sublime!
thanks ningyocurious. That's very interesting indeed.