and wonderment, which we look back upon with such nostalgia. In the image of the gosho-ningyō shown here, we see a young boy holding up with obvious joy a box that he has found. Seated squarely on the floor with both legs extended in front, he looks not at the box in his hand but at the viewer, seeking approval. The gofun has been worn from the big toe on his right foot, and the kiri (paulownia) wood beneath is visible, darkened with a rich patina from being handled over the years. He is clothed in a simple red silk open-sleeved kimono with a white silk layer beneath. His silk fiber hair is divided into five sections: two side locks, a forelock tied up high, a simple knot on top of his head, and a very small lock at the nape of his neck.
Woodblock print imagery from the Edo period depicting children reveals an almost bewildering array of hairstyles. They range from completely shaved heads to small round patches of closely cropped hair, to shoulder length hair tied in a variety of fashions. The Japanese have traditionally held many beliefs surrounding hair in general, and children's hair in particular, with numerous customs and rituals associated with its growth, cutting, and styling. The hair itself was seen in many respects as a nexus of one's life force, and many of a child's steps towards adulthood were marked by haircutting rituals of various descriptions. During the Heian period, a hair-cutting ritual called the ubuzori was held generally a week after a child's birth. Garlanded with auspicious objects, the child's head was turned towards the east and three locks were cut by an officiant before the nurse finished off the job, thus completing the child's first haircut. The most common rite was the kamioki held at the age of three for both boys and girls. This rite marked the end of a probationary period of sorts. Before this time, a child's grip on this world was considered weak and tentative, and because of this children could be easily transported back to the other world to which they remained partially connected. By age three, the life expectancy of children greatly improved, and the kamioki ritual marked a point in which a child's hair would be allowed to grow long for the first time, rather than extensive head-shaving which marked a child's early years. Up to the age of seven or eight, male and female children sported much the same kinds of hairstyles.
A mother tying up her son's hair,
Suzuki Harunobu (17257-70),
woodblock print, ink and color on paper, ca. 1768-9, 10 x 7 1/2 inches.
Royal Ontario Museum
Other rituals, such as the hakama-gi when a boy sported hakama trousers for the first time around the age of five, or the obitoki when a girl first began to wear an obi tie belt around the age of seven, were age-based festivals that began to define not only a child's progress towards adulthood, but also clearer differentiation by sex. During the Edo period, these three rites— kamioki at age three, hakama-gi at age five, and obitoki at age seven—formed an integral part of the shichi-go-san (seven-five-three) ceremonies in which children were presented to local shrines to receive blessings for health and longevity.
Gosho-ningyō, with their varying costumes and hairstyles, are reflective of the importance that each of these elements held in the life of Edo-period children. Though far removed from the time and culture that created them, gosho-ningyō serve as valuable historical records, providing greater insights into the values of the period as well as the intrinsic delight with which they provide the viewer.
Seated Gosho-ningyō with Treasure Ship
The takarabune (treasure ship) is a distinctive image in the art vocabulary of Japan. It is aboard the takarabune that the Seven Gods of Good Fortune come sailing into port on New Year's Eve. Apart from the Seven Gods, the image of the takarabune itself is said to bring good fortune. Popular tradition holds that if an image of the ship is kept under your pillow on that night and you dream of the takarabune, then you will enjoy good fortune for the rest of the year. Such a scene opens the celebrated Kabuki play Yanone, when Soga no Gōrō, while sleeping with his head on a treasure ship image, has a vision which tells him of the danger confronting his brother, setting the play's events in motion. A waka poem that is also a palindrome traditionally accompanies the image:
| Naga hi yo no | From the faraway sleep |
| Too no ne muri no | of a long night |
| Mina me za me | Everyone awakens |
| Nami no ri fune | The sound of the ship's wake |
| No oto no yo | Is comforting |
| Kika na |
The ship itself is said to be laden with treasures such as rare books and scrolls, the tama or hōju (sacred wish-fulfilling gem), rolls of silk brocade, a key to the storage house, a magic cape to make one invisible, and a magic hat to keep off the rain, among others. Collectively, these symbols were called takaramono and served as a popular motif in textile design as well. The concept of treasure in Japan, unlike the Western sense of pirate's booty, also had strong religious, particularly Buddhist, overtones; it was symbolic of both spiritual and temporal authority, and focused less on monetary value than spiritual potency.
In popular tradition, the treasure ship imagery also ties into stories of recaptured treasure, such as Momotarō the Peach Boy, who, after his successful raid of the island of the ogres, sails triumphantly back on a ship loaded with booty. In ningyō form, this treasure is usually represented, not with monetary symbols such as gold coins, but of hōju and red coral, which was closely associated with the untold wealth of the undersea dragon god, Ryūjin.
The giving of a gosho-ningyō itself was originally designed to convey auspicious (kisshō) wishes on the recipient. Even the basic color combination of the stark white body, the dark shank of hair, and the bright red of the textile was seen as being kisshō. The inclusion of positive symbols, many of which were layered with rich cultural associations and meanings by the ningyō artists, greatly enhanced this effect.
The deeply auspicious nature of the takarabune made it a natural accompaniment for gosho-ningyō, and examples oigosho paired with this symbol of wealth and prosperity are common. Frequently, the treasure ship is presented separately, resting on a wheeled chassis, and connected to the gosho-ningyō by a silken cord. Here, the takarabune is depicted in a jewel-like fashion, resting in the outstretched palm of the seated gosho figure. The ship itself is replete with fringed sails topped by the tama or hōju, which also appears on the prow and in the hull of the ship. Other featured takaramono include the weight and coin. His front is covered in a red silk crepe haragake bib bearing the orange (tachibana) flower in gold-wrapped thread embroidery. Though closely associated with the powerful Tachibana family, sprigs of wild orange flower (Ardisia japonica, yama-tachibana) were traditionally believed to ward against disease, and the crest itself was a popular and auspicious symbol.
Seated gosho-ningyō with treasure ship
Edo period, 19th century
Height 8 inches
Ayervais Collection
Standing Gosho-ningyō with Hobbyhorse
The original nature of the gosho was as a gift designed to convey auspicious wishes upon the recipient. In reference to this aspect, they were frequently called omiyage-ningyō (gift dolls). The positive symbols employed were drawn from a rich image tradition, behind which lay centuries of layering. Each image could serve as a quick referent to any number of stories, historical events, and religious elements, or any number of social apercus.
The
