Hōei era (1704–1711) Donated by Saitō Shōji
A hauko is a doll usually given to young women of age, and especially to pregnant women in Japan to protect both mother and unborn child. Traditionally, they would have been made of silk and human hair, and stuffed with cotton.
Crafting Saga dolls is said to have been an additional skill Buddhist priests acquired. They are typically made from carved wood and painted with gold, silver or gofun (powdered pigments made from oyster or clam shells). Sometimes referred to as ‘poppy seed dolls’ due to their miniature size, Saga dolls were precursors to the later child-like palace dolls (goshō ningyō).