Hōreki era (1751–1764) Donated by Saitō Shōji
Next to a boat-shaped ornamental stand, dolls dance to “shōjō,” one of the songs in the Noh play of the same name. The shōjō is an imaginary animal or sea spirit mentioned in classical texts; it has a red face and a fondness for alcohol. The Noh play features a shōjō getting drunk on sake and dancing joyously.
According to doll researcher Fujita Junko, the brightly-patterned ornamental stand is a xylophone (wooden zither), likely taken from the kabuki play “The Strange Tale of Tenjiku Tokubei.” The play became a huge hit during the first year of the Bunka era (1804–1818).