Japanese Dolls - Tsuchi-Ningyō | National Louis University Archives and Special Collections

Title: Japanese Dolls - Tsuchi-Ningyō

ID: 14/004

Extent: 3.0 Linear Feet

Subjects (links to similar collections)

Rights: This material has been photographed and these photos are available upon request. These artifacts do not leave the collection. Due to the fragility and age some of the items, they cannot be handled. Some of the items are incomplete and/or broken. National Louis University Archives allows access at their discretion.

Related Materials:

National-Louis University Archives and Special Collections houses many various artifacts. This collection represents only a portion of these artifacts. Other collections include the following:

Japanese dolls generally called ningyō (meaning doll, toy, and plaything), accessories accompanying the ningyō, East Indian dolls, Hispanic dolls, Asian peasant dolls mounted on stands, painted wood farm figures, several miscellaneous figurines, metal doll bookends, a complete wooden structure/house, an ivory boat on black stand, one pair beaded shoes, clay bowl set, a carved wood paddle, a large Japanese hagoita paddle or battledore and a fan. The ningyō in our collection are a combination of several different types of Japanese dolls: Hina-Ningyō, Anesama, Mitsuore, and Tsuchi ningyō. The Archives houses a set of Hina-ningyō for Hina-matsuri (dolls for the girl's day festival) including the stands, clothing, crowns, scepters, swords and musical instruments; this set comprises the majority of our Japanese ningyō. A few flat, folded paper dolls without facial features called Anesama are included as well. One Mitsuore doll with bendable joints and numerous Tsuchi ningyō (clay dolls).

Other Note:

References:

Baton, Lea. Identifying Japanese dolls: Notes on ningyō, (The Netherlands: Hotei Publishing, 2000).

Pate, Alan Scott. Japanese Dolls: The Fascinating World of Ningyō, (Rutland, Vermont: Tuttle Publishing, 2008).

Pate, Alan Scott. Ningyō: The Art of the Japanese Doll, photographs by Lynton Gardiner (Boston: Tuttle Publishing, 2005).

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Scope and Contents: The phrase tsuchi-ningyō simply points to the fact that the dolls are made of clay. Japan has a long tradition of clay figurines starting with the archaic dogū and haniwa, to those made in Fushimi, Hanamaki, Inuyama, Koga, Sagara, Tsutsumi, and at present, the brightly colored Hakata figures. National Louis University Archives has three different types of Japanese clay dolls. All of these, except for one, have wire inserted into the doll to help it stand. Of these wired dolls, several are large (about six inches in height) and the remaining are small. It is possible that these two different types are parts of the same set. The miniature clay figurines might be Keshi-ningyō, but more research is necessary. The one exception (the clay figure without wires) is possibly a Fushimi doll, but again more research is necessary to confirm this.

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