Keian period (1648–1652)
Donated by Saitō Shōji
Named for the Kan’ei era (1624–1644) during which they first appeared, Kan’ei dolls are characterized by their slender, longish heads, painted facial features and hair, and ‘okimayu,’ eyebrows painted higher on the face. This doll is considered a Kan’ei doll as the head and crown are made from a single piece of nerimono (a mixture of sawdust and wheat starch kneaded into a clay-like paste and moulded on a wooden model). Kan’ei dolls were the first surviving form of Edo period Imperial dolls.
Another detail of note here is that the sleeves on the clothes of female doll resemble the rings of a tree.