Gosho Ningyo (Court dolls)
Engraving paulownia and coating and finishing with "gofun (chalks)" in the
same way that Japanese lacquer is applied was the method used to produce "gosho
nigyo (court dolls)" that featured a naked child. "Gofun" is a white pigment
that is made by pulverizing oyster shells. It is used mixed with glue made
from the bones and hides of cows. It was in the Muromachi era (1333-1568)
that this technique was introduced and fully utilized for "keicyo-butsu".
Most "gosho ningyos" are naked, but some wear costumes. The origin of this
doll was as a crawler doll. Since the crawler doll was a ritual object presented
at the birth of a child in the families of nobles, the "gosho ningyo" came
to bear a similar significance. The doll had been created in the early days
of the Edo era (1600 -1868). "Gosho ningyo" with pedigrees exist at the Reiganji
Temple, Hokyoji Temple, and other temples where noble families bequeathed
their heritage of Buddhist laws, and such dolls also exist as the properties
of the three Tokugawa shogunate families that accepted brides from the Royal
and aristocratic families. On consideration of these facts we can imagine
that "gosho ningyo" were not simply dolls used as ritual objects.
It seems to have been only in the Meiji era that the name of "gosyo ningyo"
was established. In the Edo era, they were called "shiragiku ningyo (white
chrysanthemum dolls)" because of their white skins. Sometimes, they were called
"omiyage ningyo (souvenir dolls)" because the feudal lords from the Western
region sent "gosyo ningyo" in return for their courtesy calls to the Gosho
(court) when they passed through Kyoto on their way to their alternate-year
residences in Edo. Also, as there were many pieces created by Izukuraya Kihei,
a famous doll maker, the dolls were also referred to as "izukuraya ningyo".
Even today, this technique remains alive locally in doll production. Some
famous doll makers of the Showa era who also created these dolls were Okamoto
Gyokusui, Noguchi Mitsuhiko, Hara Beishu and Ito Hisashige.
