Kan’ei-style Doll

Kanbun period (1661–1673)

Donated by Saitō Shōji

This doll is a descendant of Kan’ei dolls, which are characterized by their slender, longish heads, painted facial features and hair, and ‘okimayu,’ eyebrows painted higher on the face. Their elegant appearance are said to be the origin of the Kyōhō dolls, which would begin appearing around the Genroku era (1688–1704). The male doll here holds a tachi (a type of Japanese sword, typically long and curved).