is made of papier mâché, with sharply pointed ears with rounded outside edges.
The fox Genkuro disguised as Tadanobu in the play Yoshitsune senbon zakura (Yoshitsune and the Thousand Cherry Trees),
Katsukawa Shunsho (1726-92), woodblock print, ink and color on paper, 1774, 13 x 6 inches.
Anne Van Biema Collection,
Arthur M. Sackler Gallery
Karakuri gosho-ningyō with Okame mask
Edo period, 19th century
Height 12 inches
Ayervais Collection
Karakuri Gosho-ningyō with Okame Mask
One of the earliest foundation legends dealing with Japans Age of the Gods describes how Amaterasu, the sun goddess, distressed at her brother's behavior, hid herself in a cave, taking the sunlight with her. The other gods became anxious as days passed with no light and they began to fear that she might never come out and the world would remain in darkness. One by one they cajoled, berated, begged, and pleaded for her to emerge, but all to no avail. Then the goddess Ama no Uzume began a ribald and humorous dance in front of the cave, much to the delight and merriment of the other gods. Curious as to what could be causing the laughter after so many days of haranguing, Amaterasu peered out from the mouth of the cave, and seeing Ama no Uzume's outrageous performance emerged laughing from the cave, thus restoring light to this world and securing Ama no Uzume's place in Japanese culture.
On a religious level, this event is said to be the prototype for all sacred shrine dances done in offering to the kami. Culturally, Ama no Uzume is credited with the invention of the flute and the koto (zither). Although her name literally means "terrible female of heaven," due to her dance and the laughter she provoked from the gods, she subsequently became known as the Goddess of Mirth. She is known more popularly by the name Okame (tortoise) or Otafuku (great fortune). Her lovable face, with its large, protruding cheeks and small features is immediately recognizable, and appears in many art and cultural forms.
Okame appears frequently in ningyō form. Clay ningyō of Okame often depict her kneeling in long robes, her hands clasped together in her lap, apparently chaste and demure. But when the figure is turned upside down, she is revealed to be wearing nothing underneath. Within the Hina-matsuri, the face of Okame is sometimes found on one of the sari ran banjo (three ladies-in-waiting), adding an element of whimsy to the setting. Here, she appears in karakuri gosho form. The seated, and ironically, male figure holds the strings to the Okame mask. The simple turn handle in back raises the mask, transforming the young boy into the ribald Goddess of Mirth. The mask itself is crafted of papier mâché and covered in layers of a highly burnished gofun. Her teeth are blackened as a beauty mark and her shaved eyebrows are replaced with high painted smudges referred to as okimayu ("skybrows"), another beauty mark dating to the Heian period. The gosho-ningyō is also entirely crafted of papier mâché, covered in bright white gofun with painted features and silk fiber hair. In keeping with karakuri gosho construction techniques, the figure is completely hollow. He wears a green silk haragake bib decorated with kinran designs as well as a lightly embroidered red chirimen sleeveless vest.
Mitate gosho-ningyō
Meiji period, early 20th century
Height 19 inches
Prince Collection
Mitate Gosho-ningyō: Ebisu, the God of Daily Provision
The ever-expanding popularity of gosho-ningyō over the course of the Edo period led artists to continually attempt new variations on established themes and discover fresh avenues of expression. During the late eighteenth century, the tradition of pairing gosho-ningyō with specific, frequently auspicious, symbols or attributes evolved into the mitate gosho form. Mitate, as noted earlier, can be translated as "parody" or "imitation." Images of gosho-ningyō holding objects closely associated with characters drawn from Japanese history legend, literature, or theater, became mitate-ningyō (parody dolls) of those individuals or characters. This development paved the way for artists to take on any number of themes drawn from Japan's rich cultural, religious, and historical traditions.
The Shichifukujin (Seven Gods of Good Fortune) were a popular subject for ningyō in all forms. A mixture of Buddhist, Hindu, Shintō, Taoist, and locally derived gods, the seven consisted of Bishamon, a martial figure considered the God of Prosperity; Ebisu, the God of Daily Food or Provision; Jurojin, the God of Wisdom; Benzaiten, the sole female in the pantheon, the Goddess of the Arts; Daikoku, the God of Wealth; Fukurokuju, the God of Longevity, and Hotei, the God of Mirth and Happiness. Combining the power attributed to these gods to help and augment the quality of everyday life with the beauty and desirability of the gosho form, mitate gosho depicting individual members of the seven gods or even groups were especially popular during the Edo period.
Ebisu, the God of Daily Provision, symbolized by the giant sea bream he carried or dangled from his fishing pole, was particularly popular. As a local divinity of non-Buddhist origin, Ebisu appealed to all segments of society. Ebisu worship was traditionally centered on Nishinomiya Shrine in Osaka. Itinerant puppet performers connected with this shrine, called kugutsu or Ebisu-haki, traveled throughout Japan giving special house-blessing performances with puppets said to represent the god of Nishinomiya, Ebisu. On a popular level, when paired with Daikoku, the God of Daily Wealth, Ebisu was one of the "kitchen deities" and was considered an important protector/provider for the home. Sculptural representations of these two gods would have been found in nearly every home. On a deeper, and, in some ways, darker level, Ebisu is often depicted with a slight deformity or as extraordinarily ugly, connecting him to the more marginal elements of society and the forces of chaos, and, therefore, to be greatly respected.
Throughout the Edo period, in response to market demands and competition between studios and individual makers, ningyō of all descriptions frequently reached impressive dimensions, both in terms of the quality of materials and textiles employed, as well as the sheer size of the figures themselves. The Kyōho-bina within the Girl's Day hina tradition are famed for the immense sizes they could reach. But gosho as well occasionally received such treatment.
An interesting surimono (special edition New Year's woodblock print) series dated 1802 by Sori Hishikawa II depicting workmen refashioned as the Thirty-six Immortal Poets, shows a ningyō maker seated with his tools scattered at his feet. He holds aloft a large seated gosho of Ebisu. Behind him is an empress done in the Kyōho style, nearly as large as the maker himself.
Like the image in the above-mentioned print, the gosho-ningyō shown at left is of exceptional size and workmanship. Though somewhat later in date than the majority of other figures presented here, it captures with extraordinary vitality the figure of Ebisu. Rather than clasping the sea bream to his side, here the elaborately rendered fish is shown at the end of the line of Ebisu's bamboo fishing pole, resting high on his lacquered fins. Ebisu himself sits very erect with his left hand indicating his captured fish, or in a gesture of offering to the viewer. His thick black hair is done in a tea whisk style with a partially shaven pate (nakasori), typical of youth of the warrior class. Though almost completely hidden behind the rich textiles (which have been replaced), the body is skillfully rendered with well-proportioned arms and legs and slightly bent feet.
(Detail) Shokunin Sanjūrokkasen
