Kansei era (1789–1801) Donated by Saitō Shōji
Crafted in the likeness of the legendary Empress Jingū, this palace doll is thought to have originally worn a golden crown. According to the Kojiki and Nihon Shoki, she travelled to Silla on the Korean Peninsula while pregnant, and gave birth to a baby boy named Homutawake. Dolls depicting Empress Jingū were made to symbolize a safe delivery during childbirth.
Empress Jingū, who supposedly ruled as regent following her husband’s death in 200AD, is considered a controversial monarch by historians for her alleged invasion of the Korean peninsula.