Ningyō: The Art of the Japanese Doll

by Alan Scott Pate, Lynton Gardiner

Ningyo: The Art of the Japanese Doll features over 250 unique photographs as well as extensive commentary and background history.

Japanese dolls (ningyo) have played an important role in Japanese art and culture since its earliest stages of development, as talismanic figures, centerpieces, in elaborate festivals, medical study tools, theater distractions, decorative objects, and avidly collected art forms, as well as childhood playthings. Ningyo: The Art of the Japanese Doll is the most comprehensive book on antique Japanese dolls and figurines published in English. The book focuses on the many types of Japanese dolls:

gosho: palace dolls

hina: Girl's Day dolls

musha: warrior dolls for the Boy's Day Festival

isho: fashion dolls
The principle forms of the dolls and their history, stylistic development, cultural context, and economic imperatives are discussed against the backdrop of Edo-period society and popular culture. Beautifully detailed color photographs of ningyo drawn from private collections, many of which are published here for the first time, as well as images of related materials selected from celebrated museums and temple collections, such as folding screens, woodblock prints, sculpture, painting ceramics, and textiles, help place the dolls in context. Ningyo: The Art of the Japanese Doll is a fascinating book for anyone interested in Asian doll art and doll collecting.

Genres: Art, Japan, Nonfiction

288 pages, Hardcover

First published July 15, 2004

Reviews

[Eadweard · Rating 4 out of 5]

FOREWORD

INTRODUCTION
Early Ningyo Forms
Edo Ningyo Styles
Anatomy of a Japanese Doll
Materials


GOSHO-NINGYO: Palace Dolls & Auspicious Wishes
A Celebration of Youth
Examples of Gosho-Ningyo


HINA-NINGYO: Dolls for the Girl's Day Festival
Faith, Commerce, and Artistry
Examples of Hina-ningyo


MUSHA-NINGYO: Warrior Dolls for the Boy's Day Festival
The Art of a Tradition
Examples of Musha-ningyo


ISHO-NINGYO: Fashion Dolls and Popular Culture
Fotgotten Festivals, Forgotten Figures
Examples of Isho-ningyo


NINGYO IN THE THEATER: Entertaining the Gods and Man
Faces from the Stage: Dolls as Entertainment
Karakuri Mechanical Dolls
Bunraku Puppet Theater
Iki-ningyo: Street Theater and the Export Market
Takeda-ningyo: Souvenir Dolls of the Edo Stage
Uizan-ningyo: Noh Theater Dolls


NINGYO AND HEALTH: Dolls as Talisman and Tool
Dolls as Fetish: Medical Model, and Sex Fantasy
Hoso-ningyo: Dolls and the Demon Smallpox
Do-ningyo: Dolls and Acupuncture
Shunga-ningyo: Dolls and the Sex Trade

[Ashley Lambert-Maberly · Rating 4 out of 5]

I don't want to mislead by giving it 3 starts, which would reflect my personal feelings better. It's a fantastic book, incredibly well-researched, lots of detail, but I (for once!) really would have been happier with less text, less detail, and less information.

If there had been less to read, I would have read it. As it was, I skimmed, and then looked at the beautiful photos of beautiful dolls. And I'm not aiming for a picture book, where there's one line at the bottom of each full-colour illustration, just somewhere in the middle: enough text to learn a little something, enough illustration to tantalize.

But if you did want to learn Everything About Japanese Dolls, this is definitely the book for you, so please, read it, and it gets its extra star for effort.

(Note: 5 stars = amazing, wonderful, 4 = very good book, 3 = decent read, 2 = disappointing, 1 = awful, just awful.)

[Jack Keely · Rating 5 out of 5]

Alan Scott Pate’s impressive book is a detailed exploration of ningyo, an enthralling array of dolls from Japan’s Edo period (1615 – 1868). The dolls are creations of wood, silk, and gofun (a paste of crushed oyster shells which creates their porcelain white faces). The term “doll” is somewhat misleading as these are not playthings. The meticulously detailed figures were intended to commemorate, entertain, and educate. Some were used in the theater and others by medical practitioners. The figures range from a fierce warrior battling a tiger to an undersea princess riding a turtle, and from exotically costumed actors to wild eyed demons. Many of the figures are shown alongside historic woodblock prints featuring the same character. Alan Scott Pate details the symbolism of the costumes, hairstyles, props, and gestures of the dolls. The bits of history and legend that illuminate the story of each doll are told in rich detail. The serious student of Japanese culture will find this book to be a valuable resource. Other readers will be captivated by the color photographs and enjoy an intriguing glimpse into a remarkable culture.