Ichimatsu Boy
Artist
Takizawa, Toyotarō (Kōryūsai II)
(Japanese, 1888 - 1966)
DateShowa Era, 1930's
OriginJapan
Dimensions20 in. (50.8 cm)
ClassificationsDoll
Credit LineGift of Carolyn K. and Richard F. Barry III
Object number2018.8
Label TextTakizawa Toyotarō (Kōryūsai II) (Japanese, 1888–1966)
Ichimatsu Boy
Pigmented gofun body, painted, glass eyes, assembled; silk with gold thread embroidery, about 1930 (Showa era)
Gift of Carolyn K. and Richard F. Barry III
This rare boy doll has a soft-jointed body. His head, hands, and feet are covered in gofun, a paste made of crushed oyster shells and animal glue. He wears a formal kimono with wisteria crest and a matching haori jacket which is embroidered with Boy Day symbols, as Children’s Day was known before 1948. The images refer to traditional samurai armor: shoulder armor, battle fan and battle wisk, an arrow quiver, kabuto helmet, as well as a shishi lion dog. He wears maedate silk brocade hakama trousers and tabi socks. Beneath his garments is a signature cloth bearing the famed maker Kōryūsai’s signature and seal.
The making of dolls are a traditional Japanese craft. They are intended for household shrines, for formal gift-giving, or for festival celebrations, as in the case of this exquisite boy doll. Ichimatsu dolls were named after an 18th-century Kabuki actor. They originally must have represented an adult man, but since the late 19th century the term has applied to child dolls. Ichimatsu dolls usually depict children of age three, five and seven.
Status
On view
