Ningyo: The Art of the Japanese Doll

Boston: Tuttle, 2005. Cloth, 288 pages, illustrations (chiefly colour); 31 cm. Firm binding, clean inside copy. Dust jacket protected in a mylar cover. OVERSIZE! No priority/international, except by arrangement. Richly illustrated with colour plates. "Japanese dolls (ningyo) have played an important cultural role in Japanese society since its earliest stages of development, as talismanic figures, center-pieces in elaborate festivals, medical study tools, theater distractions, decorative objects, and avidly collected art forms, as well as childhood playthings. This first comprehensive book on antique Japanese dolls published in English focuses on six of the primary categories of dolls - gosho palace dolls, hina Girl's Day dolls, musha Boy's Day dolls, isho costume dolls, theatrical dolls, and dolls connected with health and medical practices - made during the Edo period (1615-1868) when ningyo culture was at its peak. The principal 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 museum and temple collections, such as folding screens, woodblock prints, sculpture, painting, ceramics, and textiles help to place the dolls in context. The book, which includes much information never before published in English, is complemented by an extensive glossary and bibliography. / Alan Pate has been appointed guest curator for an exhibition on Japanese dolls at the Mingei International Museum." - Publisher.. 1st. Hardcover. Fine/Fine. Folio. Collectible.