Mitate gosho-ningyō: Sumo wrestler
Edo period, 19th century
Length 9 inches
Carabet Collection
Sumo wrestlers, iki-ningyō (living dolls), Yasumoto Kamehachi I (act. 1870), kiri wood, gofun, pigments, textiles, 1890, height 7 feet.
Detroit Institute of the Arts
Fuzokū Gosho-ningyō: Merchant, Nobleman, and Samurai
Although gosho-ningyō had their origins as very exclusive gifts exchanged within the imperial household, as gifts to visiting daimyō, or as gifts of special recognition to members of the lower classes, such as entertainers or artists, they gradually became known to the larger population. Manufacturers outside the imperial ateliers, such as Izukura Kihei in Osaka, also began to make gosho-style ningyō. By the nineteenth century the range of gosho-ningyō had expanded dramatically, covering a seemingly infinite variety of subjects, and were well patronized by the three economically advantaged segments of traditional Japanese society: the nobility (huge), the samurai (buke), and the merchant class (chōnin).
Fuzokū is a term that refers to prevailing manners and customs and is often used to describe ishō-ningyō and other ningyō forms that emphasize costume and dress. The unusual set of gosho at right shows these three classes clothed in typical fashions of the late Edo period. The standing noble figure is dressed in a green silk gauze kariginu. The kariginu coat was defined by its open sleeves with silk draw cords and the loose attachment of the sleeves at the shoulders. Initially considered a hunting coat and informal attire, the kariginu had come to be regarded as more formal by the nineteenth century. His trousers bear the classic tatewaku undulating line pattern. Standing next to him is a townsman merchant or chōnin wearing a brocade haori surcoat over a simple kosode kimono. The kosode, evolved from simple commoner's dress, became the defining garment of the period and received an impressive array of decorative treatments that elevated it far above its humble origins. It was a garment that appealed to all three classes, but was in many ways the particular preserve of the newly affluent chōnin merchants. The figure seated in front is of the samurai class and wears the very distinctive winged coat and trousers combination known as the naga-kamishimo, executed here in an unusual ginran (silver-leaf backed paper thread) brocade. The coat and trousers bear the kiri (paulownia) crest, virtually synonymous with the Tokugawa regime. This is worn over a silk crepe kosode with silver thread embroidered sleeves covered with water designs. Additional, fashionable details are conveyed by the netsuke, inro, and tobacco pouch attached to the belt.
These three different classes are unified in their depiction here through their distinctive gosho-style faces and their tea whisk hair-styles. The long forelocks indicate that they are all youthful members of their respective classes. It was the tradition for men to shave their locks when they came of age. Though obviously carved by the same hand, each of the faces bears an individualized expression, from the wide smiling face of the samurai figure to the more somber demeanor of the nobleman. The hands are all well carved, with finely separated fingers. Although wire elements in the upper arms allow for a change in position, the clothes are fixed, indicating that they were not meant to be removed, making these a form of kitsuke-ningyō (dressed-up) dolls.
Fuzokū gosho-ningyō: Merchant, nobleman, and samurai
Edo period, 19th century
Height 14 1/2 inches
Carabet Collection
Wakagimi (young prince) gosho-ningyō group
Edo period, late 18th and early 19th century
Height of dolls: left 20 1/2 inches,
middle (dated 1793) 14 inches,
right 16 inches
Rosen Collection
Mitsuore wakagimi-himegimi (triple-jointed young prince and princess)
Edo period, 19th century
Height of prince 22 inches
Height of princess 20 1/2 inches
Rosen Collection
Wakagimi Gosho-ningyō Group
Woodblock print imagery from throughout the eighteenth century indicates that gosho-ningyō were popular playthings among the children of the upper classes. Unlike similar prints from the period depicting ningyō for the Hina-matsuri display, which largely show adults handling, arranging, and occupying themselves with the hina-ningyō, gosho-related prints show children excitedly sharing their pieces with each other. A typical example is shown in a print taken from the book Ehon kikugasane by Kitao Sekkōsai (1716-80), showing a group of young boys and girls playing inside a room. The sliding doors are pushed back to reveal the garden outside. A boy balances a figure mounted on a long pole atop his nose while a delighted younger boy dances excitedly at his feet. A group of young girls in the innermost part of the room occupy themselves with ningyō of various descriptions. One turns at the approach of another young girl entering the room, holding in her hands a large seated gosho-like figure dressed in a simple haragake bib, evidently intent on showing her doll to the other young girls. The atmosphere is informal, children simply at play with their dolls.
Due to their expense and the culture that created them, gosho-ningyō were closely connected with the huge (nobility) and buke (samurai) classes, their clothing and attitudes more reflective of this segment of society than that of the merchant commoner. One sub- genre of gosho-ningyō that particularly reflects this class division is that of the wakagimi (young prince) gosho. This style of gosho-ningyō invariably depicts a standing young boy of either the huge or buke class. To indicate youth, the front locks are usually left in long bangs. The hair is then done in either the style of a court page (chigowa), with the hair gathered together at the top and terminating in two large loops, or in youthful variations of adult styles called wakashu-mage or warawa-mage. The young prince is attired in either a combination of the long pleated hakama trousers over a kosode kimono, or in the martial kamishimo. The kamishimo was the formal audience wear for most samurai of rank, consisting of the wide-shouldered kataginu paired with either matching (mizukamishimo) or contrasting (tsugi-kamishimo) pleated hakama over a kosode kimono. The materials ranged from silk to hemp. Family crests were frequently placed on the shoulders and back to aid in identification of the wearer.
Structurally, the wakagimi gosho vary dramatically, ranging anywhere from ten inches to over twenty-five inches in height, with some extraordinary examples cresting thirty inches. Unlike the kurui (crazy) poses of some other standing gosho forms, the wakagime gosho reflect a stately dignity. They are depicted erect, with a small fan in their right hand. Their legs are placed together, with feet pointed forward. Generally, they are sexed. The upper arms frequently have a metal wire core surrounded by thickly padded chirimen silk crepe, plain weave silk, or occasionally soft leather. This allowed for the shifting of the arm position and enabled the clothing to be put on and taken off as desired.
The wakagimi gosho appear
