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What are the first Japanese dolls called? Traditional Japanese dolls

For residents of the Land of the Rising Sun, a Japanese doll is more than just a children's toy. For thousands of years they were not toys at all, but were considered works of art. Japanese old chronicles describe the skill of craftsmen, and their names have become legends for the people.

Japanese traditions

Initially, the Japanese doll was simply a product for performing rituals and depicted gods or dead people. The first mentions of their production from straw and clay, as well as rituals with them, date back to the 6th century BC. e. The ancient Japanese made amulets that were supposed to protect them from misfortunes, restore health and protect their family. They sincerely believed that the spirit of a deity inhabits the ningyo (doll, human form) and helps those who make a request.

Over time, handicraft production grew into real cultural centers that created Japanese traditional dolls, taking into account the specifics and customs of the area. Such centers still exist in several prefectures in Japan.

If previously wood, straw or clay, and later porcelain, were used to produce dolls, modern craftsmen make them from silicone. It is very difficult to distinguish them from real children.

Until now, the Japanese doll is divided according to its functional characteristics:

Dolls for girls that you can hold in your hands, that is, toys.
A work of art that is displayed to the public only on certain days.

The art of creating Japanese dolls has spread beyond the country, and now, if desired, anyone can make a traditional paper toy and please themselves and their loved ones with their skills.

Kokeshi doll

The roots of the Japanese Kokeshi doll go back a thousand years, although it received its official name in the 17th century, being well known among the people as a funeral figurine.

Once upon a time it was carved from wood, and later they began to turn it on a lathe. It consists of a cylindrical body and head. There are several options for its origin. According to one version, this is what the figurines looked like, made by shamans for rituals of honoring spirits that patronized families or their crafts.

According to another, they were given the appearance of a girl and used as a funeral doll when the family, due to need, was forced to get rid of the baby. Since it was the girl who was unwanted, the products were made to look like she was a symbol of loss.

Perhaps because of its history, Kokeshi, although they look like a toy, does not belong to the category of “children’s dolls”, therefore it is more loved and revered by the adult generation of Japanese.

Depending on the area, each Kokeshi doll has its own original “look” and painting in “clothing”. True connoisseurs can accurately determine in which province and by which master it was carved.

Daruma doll

The famous traditional Daruma doll is considered the ancient prototype of the well-known tumbler. This toy has its own intricate legend, according to which Daruma was a monk who spent 9 years in a cave in a state of meditation. Since he did not move all this time, his arms and legs “fell off”, and in honor of his religious “feat” a toy without legs and arms was created.

The Daruma doll is incredibly popular among the Japanese as a ritual New Year's toy for making a wish. She is called Daruma Almighty and is considered the family's guardian angel for the entire New Year. In order for Daruma to fulfill a wish, there is a special ritual.

Since the doll is created with its eyes closed, then, having drawn its pupil, opening its “sight,” you can ask it for anything, promising to make the other eye “sighted” if your wish is granted. If the wish does not come true, Daruma is burned the next year and a new patron is bought.

Regardless of whether Darumas fulfill the requests of their owners or not, these children's dolls are loved by all Japanese. They are considered amulets and are most often made of wood or papier-mâché.

Articulated dolls

Japanese jointed dolls, which appeared on sale in the early 90s, made a real revolution in the production of toys. They are made from polyurethane, although uninformed people call this material rubber.

It is stronger and denser, similar to porcelain, but at the same time very hard. Each manufacturer prefers its own polyurethane composition, but otherwise articulated dolls for girls are very similar:

In Japan, there is a single height standard for articulated dolls, which includes 5 sizes - from 9 cm to 70 cm or more.
All moving parts (arms, legs, head) are connected by hinges connected with rubber bands.
The head of an articulated doll can consist of several parts, which include a wig and eyes, which can be changed at will.
They can be sold together with clothing, shoes and accessories.

The articulated figure is more of a hobby than a children's toy. The cheapest Japanese doll with joints costs from $200, and its size will be quite small. Custom dolls can cost up to $1,000 and are handmade.

For collectors, there are special configurations of articulated Japanese dolls.

The basic set includes only the torso with the head and the complete absence of eyes, makeup, wig and clothing. It costs less and is purchased by true connoisseurs who prefer to give such a doll the features that suit their taste.
Fullset is a ready-made doll with clothes, shoes and a “face” that cannot be modified. Costs an order of magnitude more than the basic kit.
Limited edition dolls are the dream of any collector. They are produced in limited quantities in a complete set, to which fashion accessories can be added. For an additional fee you can purchase a sleeping doll head. This expensive pleasure does not stop real connoisseurs and doll lovers. Limited works also include figurines - copies of famous people.

When ordering more expensive sets, the client has the right to choose the color of his eyes and hair, which is not the case when purchasing a basic set.

Shiori Ningyo

The Ningyo doll is a paper bookmark made in the shape of a girl. This popular type of origami is available to everyone today, and you can make a similar “toy” for yourself in a matter of minutes.

In Japan, paper Ningyos are not only bookmarks, but also the first toys for little girls to play “mother and daughter.” Making such Japanese dolls with your own hands will not be difficult even for a beginner. To do this you will need:

cardboard for head and neck;
colored paper for kimono;
corrugated black paper for hair;
a rectangular piece of plain paper for a kimono belt;
glue.

Initially, such dolls made of straw or paper were made for purification rituals. The Japanese believed that if you blew on a toy and then passed it over the entire body, illness, misfortune or the “evil eye” could leave a person. The used Ningyo should be thrown into the river so that it would carry all the problems away.

Traditional ningye dolls can be made of porcelain and represent the imperial court along with courtiers and utensils from the Heian era. Such dolls are exhibited once a year at a girls' festival and are usually passed down from mother to daughter.

Girls' Day and Doll Festival

The real exhibition of Japanese dolls is held on the traditional girls' day (Hinamatsuri) on March 3rd. All little Japanese girls are looking forward to this event, since it is on this day that stands with shelves are installed in their homes, on which the entire imperial doll family is carefully displayed along with the courtiers.

Girls and their mothers visit each other, show off their doll collections, eat sweets and drink shirozake - low-alcohol sweet sake.

This tradition instills in girls from childhood an understanding of how to behave in society and instills rules of behavior and etiquette.

Another tradition very beloved by all Japanese is the doll bazaar, which is held in February, on the eve of Girls' Day. It is here that they purchase everything necessary for the stand and for updating its exhibits.

Fukuruma

The Japanese doll Fukuruma is a prototype of the Russian nesting doll. According to the official version, it appeared in the 17th century and represented 7 gods of wealth, luck and prosperity entering into each other.

Fukuruma is the prototype of the long-headed god Fukurokuju, who was revered as the bringer of wealth and wisdom to people. The remaining 6 gods of good luck were placed inside it, and according to tradition, having taken them out, one could ask for help in business.

In some provinces of Japan, Fukuruma had the appearance of a samurai, within which his entire family was “imprisoned.” These toys were made from various types of trees and painted with bright colors.

Chrysanthemum dolls

An absolutely amazing art is creating dolls from fresh flowers. The Japanese use chrysanthemums in this case. These flowers have been grown in the country for more than 400 years, and since 1804 they have been used to create dolls.

The festival of flower figures traditionally takes place in the fall and attracts thousands of fans of this art from all over the world.

To create floral masterpieces, masters study this for many years and pass on their skills either by inheritance or to talented students.

Several specialists take part in the creation of each doll:

one creates a sketch of a doll;
the second makes the wooden frame and “body”;
the third - the most difficult part of the work - wraps flowers around each fragment of the structure.

To prevent chrysanthemums from dying, they are dug up with their roots, wrapped in damp moss and attached to the frame. The annual spectacular spectacle delights the audience and once again demonstrates the skill of Japanese puppeteers.

Modern Japanese dolls

Modern Japanese masters create dolls so realistic that it is difficult to distinguish them from living children. A Japanese silicone doll in the shape of a baby can cry, laugh, and go to the toilet, which allows little Japanese girls to feel like they are in the role of a mother.

Dolls depicting anime characters are also in great demand. Since they are made with joints, they can “repeat” the movements of their cartoon prototypes. Children especially like this.

I really wanted to put everything in one publication, but it didn’t fit, so I’ll have to divide it into two parts.

So let's get started :)

– immeasurably more than fun for children. This is a whole world with its own aesthetics, religion and even mysticism: therefore, dolls in Japan, oddly enough, are mostly entertainment for adults.

Japanese traditional dolls are called Ningyo (人魚)

Ningyo can be translated as “human form,” and they originally served a very serious, adult purpose - to protect the home and family members from illness, curses, evil spirits and werewolves.

These days, Japanese dolls are a lot - but not quite! – they lost the ancient spirit of mysticism and became exquisite objects of art.

Although the Japanese still believe that “correctly” chosen dolls bring health and success, and protect from harm. Japanese dolls are not simple, and they are expensive - literally and figuratively; In every self-respecting Japanese family, dolls have a place of honor - in a special niche “tokonoma”, a kind of “red corner”.

Why do Japanese adults love to play with dolls so much? The very first dolls appeared in Japan a long time ago - more than 10,000 years ago, these were amulets. Later, during the Kofun era (300-710 AD), larger clay sculptures of warriors or animals were placed on the graves of the deceased, as a kind of “guardian”. Dolls became toys during the Heian era (784–1185).

This is one of the main holidays in Japan and is celebrated on March 3rd. In ancient times, this holiday was called “Hina-okuri”, and its meaning was completely different, more mystical: on this day paper dolls were floated along the river, which were supposed to carry away illness and misfortune.

Japanese dolls Nagashi-bina (流し雛)

Currently preserved only in very few places. This ritual is performed not on March 3rd, but at the beginning of April - that is, according to the lunar calendar. Girls, girls, their parents gather on the river bank, the girls are dressed in bright festive kimonos, and flat round wicker baskets containing a pair of paper dolls are floated down the river. These dolls are called Nagashi-bina (流し雛) - dolls that are lowered down the river.

Over time, the ritual merged with the “children’s” game of dolls.
The ancestor of the holiday in its modern form is considered to be the shogun (military ruler) Yoshimune, who had many daughters. Following his example, first the courtiers, and then the rich people of that era began to celebrate such a holiday, and the whole country followed them. Nowadays, on this holiday, families with girls arrange a kind of doll exhibition in their home - “khina”.

The exhibition of dolls is made in the form of a multi-tiered staircase - “hinakazari”, covered with red cloth. This staircase symbolically depicts the “tiers” of court life: at the very top are the luxurious dolls of the emperor and empress.

These dolls are very expensive, clothes for them are sewn by tailors to order, from silk or brocade, and the “empress” is dressed in twelve kimonos - as it was in reality. Below the levels are three court maids of honor holding sake serving utensils in their hands, and even lower are the court guards: a young and an elderly samurai,
below are the court musicians (three drummers, a flutist and a singer with a fan)

Even lower are ministers and courtiers

Then the servants (one holds an umbrella, another holds shoes, the third holds a vessel with a drink).

These dolls were inherited from parents or maternal grandmother. Dolls began to be displayed in the very first year after the birth of a girl in the family, in a festive shelf, on each level of which the characters were arranged in accordance with their “rank.” Usually it was installed the day before. At this time, the child can not only admire the dolls, but also play with them. But there was a belief that if these dolls are not removed after the end of the holiday (after 3 days), then the daughters will not get married for a long time. Sometimes girls, when they got married, organized holidays for themselves until they had girls.

Girls' Day is also celebrated in Yuzhno-Sakhalinsk. Every year, employees of the regional museum of local history invite everyone to visit a special three-day exhibition dedicated to this holiday.

In total, for a “complete set” you need 15 dolls. Sometimes one or several tiers are also made for items of doll court life: toy furniture, tiny household items, sometimes even a miniature cart drawn by an ox are placed there. The staircase is richly decorated with lanterns, flowers, peach petals, sometimes balls of artificial cherry and tangerine petals, and a “sacred tree” is installed in the middle of the installation. On each step there are also miniature screens and miniature plum and tangerine trees (they were traditionally used to decorate the imperial court). People do not make all these decorations themselves; they must be purchased at a special fair (hina no ichi - “doll market”). And the dolls themselves are rarely bought - usually they are passed down by inheritance, but of course, if you wish, you can buy very beautiful and very expensive hina dolls (the entire complex of the imperial court can cost tens of thousands of euros!).
In poorer families, individual dolls can sometimes be replaced by paper analogues^

Or even stones, or even symbolic objects (a figurine of a scribe - a brush, a master of the tea ceremony - a whisk for whipping tea foam, etc.) but they try to arrange such a substitution as rarely as possible, depending on the financial capabilities of the family.

I asked a charming Japanese girl: “Can a doll come to life?” “Why,” she answered, “if you love her very much, she will come to life!”

(Lafcadio Hearn)

Once upon a time, people really believed that some dolls could come to life, acquiring a human soul in their body. This belief is just an echo of the ancient idea that strong love can revive an inanimate object that resembles a living creature. The Japanese have probably gone the furthest in their special attitude towards dolls.

Japan is often called the “land of ten thousand dolls.” Since ancient times, dolls have been a talisman and a talisman that brings good luck and joy to its owner.

Japanese traditional dolls are called "ningyo". And they are immeasurably more than fun for children. This is a whole world with its own aesthetics, religion and even mysticism: therefore, dolls in Japan, oddly enough, are mostly entertainment for adults.

"Ningyo" can be translated as "human form", and they originally served a very serious, adult purpose - to protect the home and family members from illness, curses, evil spirits and werewolves. These days, Japanese dolls are a lot - but not quite! – they lost the ancient spirit of mysticism and became exquisite objects of art.
Although the Japanese still believe that “correctly” chosen dolls bring health and success, and protect from harm.

"Ningyo" are made for holidays or as gifts. Their creation is entrusted to experienced puppeteers, who can custom-make almost any whim - from traditional dolls to sophisticated and sophisticated ones. Many tourists coming to Japan consider it their duty to bring home such a Japanese souvenir. Moreover, the choice of dolls is very large. Japanese dolls are known all over the world for their diversity and originality of the materials from which they are made. Such materials include: paper, fabric, wood, clay, porcelain-like plastic, silicone, and even chrysanthemums.

As you know, the Japanese treat flowers with trepidation. Admiring the delicate, pristine beauty of flowers is a need of the soul and a centuries-old Japanese tradition. Dolls made from living chrysanthemums are a real art that requires patience, special knowledge and the depth of soul of the craftsmen who make dolls. In order to create one doll, craftsmen use about 100 – 150 plants. Several people work on it: an artist-designer (Dogu-cho), who creates the image of the future doll and draws how it should look, a puppeteer (Ningyo-shi), who prepares the base of the dome body, as well as the arms, legs and head of the doll . Next, a specialist in decorating the doll with chrysanthemums is involved in the work, who arranges the flowers on the doll according to the plan. As a result, the doll turns out to be filled with roots and stems, and the top is covered with hundreds of luxurious flowers. The spectacle is simply unforgettable. The only pity is that such dolls are made in the fall, and most often, for the exhibition of “flower dolls” - an annual event that has enjoyed unprecedented success among viewers for many years.

Dolls and their “supernatural abilities”

The very first dolls appeared in Japan a long time ago - more than 10,000 years ago, these were amulets. Later, during the Kofun era (300-710 AD), larger clay sculptures of warriors or animals were placed on the graves of the deceased, as a kind of “guardian”. Dolls became toys during the Heian era (784–1185).

For example, the tiny doll called "O-Hina-san" is just a toy and nothing more. But there are dolls the size of a living person - they look like small children aged two or three years. The girl doll is called "O-Toku-san" and the boy doll is called "Tokutaro-san". There was a belief that if such a doll was mistreated or neglected, it would cry, become angry and bring misfortune to its owners. These dolls also have many supernatural abilities.

A long time ago, in a very ancient family there was such a doll named Tokutaro-san, which was revered almost as much as the goddess Kishimojin, to whom Japanese wives offer prayers to give them a child. A childless couple asked for this doll for a while. The couple dressed her in new clothes and lovingly cared for the doll, confident that she had a soul and would help them give birth to a child. Legend says that the Tokutaro-san doll was so alive that when a fire started in the house, she rushed outside as fast as she could, saving her life.

The Japanese believe that you can “breathe life” into a doll in the literal sense of the word. It doesn't matter what kind of doll. You just need to exhale air to the doll’s mouth and it will immediately come to life. A living example of this is the Okiku doll.

A mysterious doll, possessed by the spirit of a deceased child, has been haunting the minds of ordinary Japanese for several decades. The legendary Okiku doll, named after the girl who owned it, is a 40-centimeter figurine in a kimono with small black beady eyes and growing (!) hair.

The Okiku doll has lived in the city of Iwamizama on the island of Hokkaido in one of the local temples since 1938. According to temple workers, initially the doll had short-cropped hair, but over time it grew to 25 centimeters in length, almost to the doll’s knees. Although the hair is trimmed periodically, it continues to grow.

According to legend, the doll was originally purchased in 1918 by a 17-year-old boy named Eikichi Suzuki while visiting a maritime exhibition in Sapporo. He bought the doll as a souvenir for his younger sister, who was two years old. The girl loved the doll very much and played with it every day, but the next year she suddenly died of cold. The family placed the doll on the home altar and prayed to it every day in memory of the deceased Okiku.

After some time, they noticed that the doll's hair began to grow. This sign was regarded as a sign that the girl's restless spirit had taken refuge in the doll.

In 1938, the family moved and left the doll in a local monastery, where it remains to this day.

No one could fully explain why the doll's hair continued to grow, but scientific examination recognized this fact.

Dolls that make wishes come true

The Japanese daruma doll is a tumbler, the embodiment of the god Bodhidharma, who is responsible for happiness in syncretic mythology.

For the Japanese, daruma is one of the symbols of national culture; for foreigners, it is a cute toy from the category “Japanese souvenirs for the home.”

An ancient legend says that after nine years of meditation, Bodhidharma’s limbs atrophied, so the darumas created by craftsmen from wood or papier-mâché do not have arms or legs. They are usually red (it scares away demons), but there are also green, yellow, and white dolls. A real Japanese daruma doll has a mustache and beard, but does not have pupils in the eyes. There is an interesting ritual to blame or thank for this. The Japanese use daruma to make secret New Year's wishes: having made a wish, the owner of the doll draws a pupil in the daruma's eye, and his name on the chin. All year round, a Japanese daruma doll stands in the most important place in the house, for example, next to the Buddhist altar. On the next New Year's holiday, if the wish is fulfilled, the owner of the figurine “gives” it a second eye. If the daruma did a bad job last year and did not carry out her plans, then she will be burned in the temple. A person buys himself a new symbolic doll.

By the way, by burning daruma, the Japanese does not take revenge on the wooden creature, but shows the gods how strong his intention is to achieve his intended goal.

Another proof of the tumbler's owner's determination is that the Japanese daruma doll has a center of gravity shifted to the bottom: no matter how you twist it, it will still stand upright. Like many things in Japan, the daruma doll came from China and gained its popularity throughout the country thanks to Nagasaki merchants, supporters of the Obaku school of Zen Buddhism.

As the Japanese say, a real daruma is sold only in the temple and costs from 500 yen if it is a small doll (height up to 5 cm), and up to 10 thousand yen if it is a large doll (above 60 cm). A Japanese daruma doll should also be burned only in the temple where it was bought, so each figurine is marked with the seal of its temple.

A daruma doll is placed in a prominent place in the home, office, store, etc. and serves not only as decoration, but as a constant reminder of a goal or wish. It is believed that Bodhidharma (the founder of the Zen Buddhist school), who materialized in the daruma in gratitude for shelter on earth, will try to fulfill the wish of his owner.

Dolls to play with

Kokeshi are Japanese dolls that are very reminiscent of the Russian nesting doll. However, this wooden toy has nothing in common with Russia. There are several explanations for where this amazing figure came from. According to some sources, kokeshi were the prototype of the figurines with which shamans summoned spirits. According to another version, the first kokeshi was made by craftsmen in honor of the birth of the daughter of a famous shogun. Be that as it may, these famous wooden toys, consisting of a cylindrical body and a head separately attached to it, ranging from a few centimeters to a meter in height, are more than a thousand years old.

This item of folk art and the distant past is created by masters of their craft with soul and imagination. Kokeshi are laconic, but not without a special charm; they come in different shapes, proportions and paintings. Each toy is unique in its own way.

The production of these dolls is especially popular in the folk art centers of Japan - Kagoshima, Kyoto and Nara.

Dolls that are played with once a year

Japanese dolls are not simple, and they are expensive - literally and figuratively; In every self-respecting Japanese family, dolls have a place of honor - in a special niche “tokonoma”, a kind of “red corner”.

Every family probably dreams of making a “hinakazari” - an exhibition of dolls in the shape of a multi-tiered staircase. The staircase symbolically depicts the “tiers” of court life: at the very top are the luxurious dolls of the emperor and empress.
These dolls are very expensive, clothes for them are sewn by tailors to order, from silk or brocade, and the “empress” is dressed in twelve kimonos - as it was in reality.

Below the levels are three court maids of honor holding sake serving utensils in their hands, even lower are the court guards: young and old samurai, below are the court musicians (three drummers, a flute player and a singer with a fan), even lower are the ministers and courtiers, then - servants (one holds an umbrella, another holds shoes, the third holds a vessel with a drink).

These dolls were inherited from parents or maternal grandmother. Dolls began to be displayed in the very first year after the birth of a girl in the family on a holiday shelf, on each level of which the characters were arranged in accordance with their “rank.”

Usually it was installed the day before. At this time, the child can not only admire the dolls, but also play with them. But there was a belief that if these dolls are not removed after the end of the holiday (after 3 days), then the daughters will not get married for a long time. Sometimes girls, when they got married, organized holidays for themselves until they had girls.

People do not make all these decorations themselves; they must be purchased at a special fair (hina no ichi - “doll market”).

And the dolls themselves are rarely bought - usually they are passed down by inheritance, but of course, if you wish, you can buy very beautiful and very expensive hina dolls (the entire complex of the imperial court can cost tens of thousands of euros!).

In poorer families, individual dolls can sometimes be replaced by paper analogues or even stones, or even symbolic objects (a figurine of a scribe - a brush, a tea ceremony master - a whisk for whipping tea foam, etc.), but they try to make such a substitution as rarely as possible, depending on the financial capabilities of the family.

Where do the dolls go?

What happens to a Japanese doll when, after very long and happy years of life, it finally breaks? Although she is presumed dead from this point on, her remains are treated with the utmost respect. They are not thrown into the trash, not burned, and not even allowed to flow down the river, as is customary to do with withered flowers. The remains of the doll are not buried, but given to the many-armed deity Kojin. Kojin is believed to live in an enoki tree, and in front of this tree there is a small shrine and torii. The remains of ancient broken Japanese dolls are respectfully placed here. The doll's face may be scratched, the silk dress may be torn and faded, its arms and legs may be broken, but once upon a time it had a soul, and once upon a time it mysteriously gave joy.

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Kokeshi, or as sometimes in Russian you can hear kokeishi or kokeishi, is one of the representatives of the glorious family of “Japanese dolls”.
Kokeshi– a wooden doll without arms and legs. The Japanese make such beauties from cherry, dogwood, birch or maple and decorate them with paintings. On a lathe, the master turns a cylindrical body and head and connects them together. It is rare, but it happens that such Japanese dolls are made from one whole piece of wood. To make the doll beautiful, traditional Japanese floral and plant motifs are painted on it in red, black, yellow or crimson. The birthplace of the first kokeshi dolls is considered Tohoku, northeastern agricultural region of the country. Some Japanese scholars say that such beauties appeared a thousand years ago, others believe that they were born in the middle of the Edo era (1630-1867).

In any case, from then until now there are several main regions where kokeshi is made according to old traditions, for example, in Kyoto, Nara, Kagoshima. Despite their simplicity, these Japanese dolls vary in proportions, shapes and designs and thus reveal to connoisseurs the place where they were created.
Modern kokeshi are made according to the design of two schools: dento(伝統こけし) traditional and singata(新型こけし) copyright. As you might guess, traditional dolls are simpler, but still have eleven types of shapes. For example, the head of the popular Naruko Kokeshi is able to turn, and then the baby makes a sound as if crying, which is why it was called the “crying doll.” Kokeshi of the traditional school are always handmade and depict girls. Why girls? More on this later.

The author's school appeared much later than the traditional one, so the creators of such kokeshi do not adhere to strict rules and make Japanese dolls of different shapes, sizes, colors and designs.
Everything that appears in people's lives, as a rule, has a backstory and kokeshi meaning, just like teddy bears, so beloved by children and adults from around the world, are no exception. If you look into the past of kokeshi, you can find several versions of the appearance of this souvenir toy.

Let's mention three of them:

First version – mystical. It says that kokeshi originated from shamanic figurines for evoking the spirits that patronized the silk craft.

The second version is sad. To get rid of newborn children whose parents could not feed, kokeshi were placed in peasant houses as funeral dolls. This is where these Japanese dolls got their meaning as “the forgotten child.” Typically, the killed newborns were girls, who were valued much less in a poor peasant family than boys. This is why kokeshi always portray girls.

Third version– joyful. Once in the 17th century, the wife of the shogun (as the military ruler of the country was called in those days) came to Tohoku (remember, this is the birthplace of kokeshi), where there are many hot springs. She dreamed of a child, but could not conceive one. After visiting the healing waters, the woman became pregnant and gave birth to a wonderful girl. In tribute to this joyful event, Tohok masters created a doll, which later began to be made in different regions of the country.

In today's Japan kokeshi is a symbol of national culture, a voice from a glorious past, an object of aesthetics and simply a popular souvenir. Also, kokeshi, like another Japanese doll daruma, claims to be the ancestor of the Russian rosy nesting doll.
Kokeshi varieties include "sakunami"(作並系), (specific to Miyagi and Yamagata prefectures), kokeshi-minomushi (the larva of a butterfly, the pupa of which makes a cocoon for itself from any small debris such as sawdust, small chips, etc.), kokeshi-shofuku , "an invitation to good luck."

Traditional Japanese dolls: from wood to robot

Japanese traditional dolls are immeasurably more than fun for children. This is a whole world with its own aesthetics, religion and even mysticism: therefore, dolls in Japan, oddly enough, are mostly entertainment for adults. Japanese traditional dolls are called "ningyo", which can be translated as "human form", and they originally served a very serious, adult purpose - to protect the home and family members from illness, curses, evil spirits and werewolves. These days, Japanese dolls are a lot - but not quite! – they lost the ancient spirit of mysticism and became exquisite objects of art. Although the Japanese still believe that “correctly” chosen dolls bring health and success, and protect from harm. Japanese dolls are not simple, and they are expensive - literally and figuratively; In every self-respecting Japanese family, dolls have a place of honor - in a special niche “tokonoma”, a kind of “red corner”. Why do Japanese adults love to play with dolls so much? The very first dolls appeared in Japan a long time ago - more than 10,000 years ago, these were amulets. Later, during the Kofun era (300-710 AD), larger clay sculptures of warriors or animals were placed on the graves of the deceased, as a kind of “guardian”. Then the purpose of the dolls evolved further, and they began to be used to remove the evil eye and ward off diseases, instead of sacrificing animals. It was believed that a ritual performed correctly by a monk with a doll was no worse or weaker than sacrificing a real animal - a very humane innovation! Dolls “for slaughter” were made in the shape of a person, and not animals, as one might think, and the ritual itself consisted of the priest “summoning” a disease or curse into the figurine - a “deputy” or “double” of the injured person. It was believed that such a doll had its own “soul,” so simply throwing away the doll after that was unthinkable: the doll that “took” the disease or the evil eye was then burned or drowned in the river during a special ritual. (By the way, to this day in Japan, even non-ritual dolls are not thrown into the trash, but given to temple servants.)

Later, in the Heian era (784-1185 AD), dolls finally became toys - but also not yet for children. They were played by court ladies, and the dolls did not perform banal everyday actions, but with their help, sophisticated scenes from palace life were played out. The puppet interior for such performances was created using miniature screens. The heroes of such productions - dolls of the finest workmanship - could represent both real and fictional characters, for example, from books or legends. Since the 17th century, Japan began to celebrate Hinamatsuri - “Girls' Day” or “Doll Festival”. This is one of the main holidays in Japan and is celebrated on March 3rd. In ancient times, this holiday was called “Hina-okuri”, and its meaning was completely different, more mystical: on this day, paper dolls were floated along the river, which were supposed to take away illness and misfortune with them. But over time, the ritual merged with the “children’s” game of dolls, popular among the ladies at court, and acquired a modern form. The ancestor of the holiday in its modern form is considered to be the shogun (military ruler) Yoshimune, who had many daughters. Following his example, first the courtiers, and then the rich people of that era began to celebrate such a holiday, and the whole country followed them. Nowadays, on this holiday, families with girls arrange a kind of doll exhibition in their home - “khina”. It is made in the form of a multi-tiered staircase - “hinakazari”, covered with red cloth. This staircase symbolically depicts the “tiers” of court life: at the very top are the luxurious dolls of the emperor and empress. These dolls are very expensive, clothes for them are sewn by tailors to order, from silk or brocade, and the “empress” is dressed in twelve kimonos - as it was in reality. Below the levels are three court maids of honor holding sake serving utensils in their hands, even lower are the court guards: young and old samurai, below are the court musicians (three drummers, a flute player and a singer with a fan), even lower are the ministers and courtiers, then - servants (one holds an umbrella, another holds shoes, the third holds a vessel with a drink). In total, for a “complete set” you need 15 dolls. Sometimes one or several tiers are also made for items of doll court life: toy furniture, tiny household items, sometimes even a miniature cart drawn by an ox are placed there. The staircase is richly decorated with lanterns, flowers, peach petals, sometimes balls of artificial cherry and tangerine petals, and a “sacred tree” is installed in the middle of the installation. On each step there are also miniature screens and miniature plum and tangerine trees (they were traditionally used to decorate the imperial court). People do not make all these decorations themselves; they must be purchased at a special fair (hina no ichi - “doll market”). And the dolls themselves are rarely bought - usually they are inherited (through the female line) as a family treasure, but of course, if you wish, you can buy very beautiful and very expensive hina dolls (the entire complex of the imperial court can cost tens of thousands of euros!). In poorer families, individual dolls can sometimes be replaced by paper analogues, or even stones, or even symbolic objects (a figurine of a scribe - a brush, a tea ceremony master - a whisk for whipping tea foam, etc.), but they try to make such a substitution as rarely as possible, depending on the financial capabilities of the family.

Another lavish doll festival in Japan is Boys' Day, which is held on the fifth day of the fifth month. Now this holiday is called “Children’s Day”, and gifts are given to all children (including girls), but preference is still given to boys, and in general, initially it was a boy’s holiday. In contrast to the girls' holiday, a special staircase-stand is covered not with red, but with green fabric, and on it is placed not a symbolic image of the imperial court, but figures of samurai in battle armor and with swords (“musha ningyo”), figures of war horses, as well as tiny images of swords, bows and spears. Sometimes poorer families also use painted clay or even paper dolls for this holiday. Not all Japanese traditional dolls are tied to any holidays. In Japan, it seems they love dolls so much that they buy or dress them up for any reason or no reason! There are dozens, even hundreds (if you take into account regional characteristics) types of dolls, from the simplest to the stunningly complex and exquisite. Dolls can be simple and even homemade, or they can be of high value and cost as much as a car. Some of the most beloved dolls in Japan are the so-called “gosho ningyo” - “palace dolls”. These are sophisticated objects of art, distinguished by their complex design, sophistication of the “costume”, and of course, high cost. Usually these are images of plump, rosy-cheeked, strong babies, which are considered a symbol of male strength and fertility. It happens that such a doll is naked, without clothes. The base of the “boy” made of wood or clay is coated on top with a composition of ground oyster shell powder (or, in cheaper versions, alabaster) to give the skin of the “boy” the milky whiteness that is so valued in Japan. Initially, only the emperor gave such dolls to his courtiers and ambassadors from other lands, hence the name “from the palace” - i.e. “a palace gift,” but gradually the “Heavenly Master” began to be imitated by his courtiers and even just rich merchants, and only then the custom of giving such a doll spread widely throughout the country. It is believed that the cute baby doll “gosho ningyo” is an excellent talisman for the expectant mother, for the safe birth of the child and for his good health, as well as a good amulet gift for those setting off on a long journey. Such dolls can be either quite simple, banal, or truly precious, especially antique works of past centuries.

Traditional Japanese dolls “kimekomi ningyo”, carved from willow wood, are also very exquisite. They are real works of art, so special exhibitions of such dolls are periodically held as a form of creativity in their own right. A whole team of craftsmen works on each such doll (and they are always “one-piece”): a cabinetmaker makes the head and torso, a younger master makes the legs and arms, a tailor dresses the doll in a luxurious miniature kimono made of valuable fabric. “Dressing” such a doll is even more difficult than cutting out its body, and this is where the most painstaking work begins: the fabric for a tiny kimono is woven and painted by hand (usual subjects are sakura flowers, autumn red leaves of a Japanese maple, dragons), and then put on the doll and is belted with an obi belt (which, of course, is also made by hand). But the process of “shoeing a flea” does not end there! The doll, like a real living courtier, needs exquisite accessories: she needs to be given an umbrella, a beautiful fan with one of the traditional designs (sakura branch, dragon, flowers, etc.), a furosaki silk scarf, and also wear geta (Japanese traditional sandals with a high platform). Sometimes “kimekomi ningyo” dolls are simply covered with strips of material, which reduces the cost of production.

In Japan they also love Daruma tumbler dolls. They are sold with empty, white eyes without pupils. When a Japanese wants to make a wish (traditionally this is done once - on the New Year, more often - it is considered a bad sign), he buys such a doll and paints one pupil on it, and if the wish comes true, he draws a second one, and places Daruma in a tokonoma - a home altar for admiring elegant objects - as a sign that the wish has come true. Comically, these days Daruma dolls with half-drawn eyes are prohibited from being shown publicly (on TV, etc.) in the name of protecting the rights and dignity of blind people. In general, Daruma dolls have nothing to do with blindness; they depict the first patriarch of Zen - the legendary monk Bodhidharma, founder of the Chinese Shaolin monastery. The doll has no arms or legs, because according to legend, Bodhidharma, in order to achieve Enlightenment, meditated for 9 years against a bare wall in a cave - and his arms and legs atrophied during this period. It is not surprising that such a purposeful person has become a symbol of the fulfillment of intentions in Japan! Another popular type of doll in Japan is “ayatsuri ningyo” - dolls that are worn on the hand. In temples they sell “tsuchi ningyo” dolls – clay figurines. An inexpensive gift is “maki-bina” paper dolls, they are dressed in simplified, although colorful, national clothes; they are usually given as gifts to girls. Interesting are the “kokeshi” dolls made from pieces of wood: usually it is just a ball-head mounted on top of a wooden cylinder (body); it is covered with painting, and everywhere in different ways, depending on the area - so that true connoisseurs, traveling around the country, can collect a magnificent collection of such dolls, each with regional characteristics of different prefectures and cities.

There are also very miniature – finger-sized – “keshi-bina” dolls, which are also sometimes used as hina ninge (for girls’ parties). The “saga” dolls are amazing, they depict heroes of the Buddhist pantheon and are distinguished by their particularly luxurious clothing. Dolls "amesama ningyo" - "elder sister" - have feminine facial features and are bought for girls. The “Momotaro” doll is very popular in Japan; it depicts the Japanese fairy-tale hero - the “peach boy” - who appeared in the house of an old man and an old woman from the core of a huge peach (a kind of analogue of our Kolobok). The story of the Ichimatsu Ningyo doll, which was named after the famous 18th century actor Ichimatsu Sanogawa, who played female roles in the Kabuki theater, is quite curious. This actor was fabulously handsome - and, of course, the dolls depicting him also have ideal facial features, so girls especially love them. The costumes for Ichimatsu Ningyo are also consistently stunning. Mitsuore ningyo dolls, which are distinguished by their mobility, are intended for play. They have three joints in their “body”: hips, elbows and knees, so you can play with them, making the dolls gesture and walk. Often such dolls are given the features of a historical hero or literary character, thus defining a ready-made role. Often such dolls are sold with a ready-made set of clothes. If such a doll comes without a dress, it means that the child must make it himself, since his parents went broke on such a gift!

Since the beginning of the 19th century, “hadaka ningyo” - life-size dolls (also known as “iki ningyo” - living dolls), the size of a child or even, sometimes, an adult, began to appear in Japan. Girls usually dress up “baby dolls” in their children's clothes - kimonos and dresses. And sometimes their costumes are made from... flowers! Nowadays, the custom of making clothes from chrysanthemums for such large dolls has become an important branch of the art of making dolls - “kiku ningyo”. “Flower” dolls are sometimes human-sized. They appeared in the 19th century and immediately became favorites of the public. Nowadays, their amazing “living costumes” often decorate flower festivals or store windows. Another curious form of Japanese dolls is the mechanical toys “karakuri ningyo”. These are wind-up dolls that can perform simple actions. This is not a newfangled invention using high technology - the first such dolls appeared back in the Middle Ages, and their “filling” consisted of various kinds of levers, hinges, rollers and cams that made the miracle structure move: for example, such a doll could bring tea or sake! In fact, these are medieval analogues of the Japanese household robots. It is noteworthy that these days at doll festivals in Japan they show not modern robots, but precisely these mechanical dolls, sometimes 200 years old: the Japanese are sentimental in their own way, and are very fond of antiquity and traditions! At the same time, it is surprising that such “antique” dolls function perfectly, regularly fulfilling their “program” - that’s what “made in Japan” means! The variety of Japanese traditional dolls: made of wood, porcelain, clay, paper, fabric and even fresh flowers is truly amazing! It is curious that in contrast to the samurai “culture of death” - Bushi-do - such “cultures of life” as the tea ceremony (cha-do) or the craftsmanship and culture of admiring dolls - ningyo - are just beginning to penetrate European culture. But maybe it’s all the better - after all, before us, Westerners, lies a whole yet unknown country - a country of oriental fantasy, exquisite luxury, and of course, beauty and romance - in which magnificent Japanese dolls live.