Kan’ei Dolls

Jōkyō era (1684–1688) Donated by Saitō Shōji

Named for the Kan’ei era (1624–1644) during which they appeared, Kan’ei dolls are characterized by their slender, longish heads, painted facial features and hair, and ‘okimayu,’ eyebrows painted higher on the face; male dolls in particular are notable for the Kan’ei style of the head and crown being made from a single piece.

Dating from around the mid-1680s, these dolls are stylistically somewhere between Kan’ei and Kyōhō dolls, which are characterized by their large size and lavish costumes quite unlike actual clothes worn by court nobles.