Kansei era (1789–1801)
Donated by Saitō Shōji
Palace dolls, or goshō ningyō, are young children’s dolls that were once popular among the aristocracy in Kyoto. They are characterized by their chubby figures, fair skin, small hands and legs, and large heads. Treasured in the imperial court, they express hope for happiness and prosperity in life.
A splendid example of palace dolls, the two figures are seated and dressed in kosode, a type of short-sleeved everyday Japanese garment preceding the kimono. The one on the left is pulling a sea bream; known as ‘tai’ in Japanese, this fish is considered auspicious as the word sounds like the end of the word ‘medetai’ meaning ‘happiness’ or ‘congratulations.’
While the two dolls are said to be a pair, it is thought they might originally have been separate from each other. Both are dressed in the original brocade costumes.