Bunsei era (1818–1830)
Donated by Saitō Shōji
Today, dolls are commonly understood to be toys to play with, but this was not always the case before the late Edo period, as dolls tended to serve more decorative functions. This particular triple-jointed doll was explicitly designed for active play rather than display, and represents the beginnings of a cultural shift from decorative dolls to dolls-as-toys.