Hakata doll

Information of Hakata doll

Hakata doll Catalogue Page 1

The dimensions of Hakata doll
Hakata doll, named after production region (Hakata-Ku, Fukuoka-city, Fukuoka prefecture) in Japan, features handcrafted process. Very roughly speaking, the handcrafting process consists of four process.
1.At first, craftsmen form a model with plaster.
2.Craftsmen jam clay into plaster's model and peel plaster in due course.
3.Craftsmen dry clay's doll with kiln.
(Firing temperature in kiln : it's range about 800-900, and so Hakata doll isn't pottery's doll but a kind of earthenware. In case of pottery, it's range about 1100-1300)
4.At the end of process, craftsmen paint clothes. (To make short of a long story, Hakata doll wear no Kimono, which is Japan's traditional dress.) And so, Hakata doll features exquisite

Overview of history of Hakata doll
The beginning of Hakata doll can be traced back to Munehichi Masaki and Seibei Nakanoko as the generally accepted opinion. - The former had created luxury items for Japan's liege lord and Buddhism temples (about A.D.1601- ), the latter began to create earthenware's doll as folkcrafts (about A.D.1818 - ). That is not to say that they directly were the originator of contemporary Hakata doll, because they didn't paint clothes on their works.

Though Hakata doll features distinctive molding and beautiful coloring, molding technique is near scrulpture and technique of coloring is similar to draw a picture. At the end of 19th century, a man whose name is Rokusaburo Shiramizu (1867-1927. Please see tree diagram below.) began to study oil paintings for coloring of dolls under instruction by Itusyo Yada who is oil painter, and it's surprising that he did learn anatomy for molding of Hakata doll as university auditor under Professor Koujirou Sakurai during two years at Kyushu university. (Though it is unbelievable , they could practice dissections on human bodies at kyushu university for their reference because Rokusaburo Shiramizu and his pupils did want to know structure of human body for molding of Hakata doll. )

Then, Rokusaburo Shiramizu and his pupils (e.g.Yoichi Kojima and Kihei Harada.) strove and made a approach to create excellent art works. In other words, they made a Model of Hakata doll just like sculptors ,and painted clothes as well as oil painters. The final objective for them was to bring Hakata doll close to art, and their doll had a great influence over other craftsmen of Hakata doll.

As the result of their efforts, Yoichi Kojima was awarded the gold prize in Pari world's exhibition held in 1925. Kihei Harada and Yoichi Oayu was awarded the silver prize in the same world fair. This was exactly what Hakata doll got worldwide fame, and Hakata doll thereafter was exported to many countries. Though that is the very birth of contemporary Hakata doll which you often see on the internet e.g. e-bay, we must remember their efforts whenever we see Hakata doll. For example, Michio Oonishi is the pupil of Hiroaki Tukumo whose master craftsmen is Rokusaburo Shiramizu. (Please view Dauntless Samurai and Coquettish Maiko, you will be able to confirm traditional technique which is handed down from master craftsmen to the pupil.)

[About stickers of associations]
Whether or not you bought genuine Hakata doll will be identified by confirming stickers of associations on the bottom of dolls. Supposing that you can not confirm stickers, the doll may be "made in China" or is doll handcrafted by outsider's craftsmen from Hakata doll's association except for antique and secondhand items. Please note that there are no stickers on very inexpensive dolls even in genuine doll in many case.

Tree Diagram of craftsmen (workshop) for Hakata doll
Please note that the following tree diagram includes the deceased e.g. Seibei Nakanoko who were the progenitor of Hakata doll, Rokusaburo Shiramizu who were the practical originator. Probably you will be able to know most of Craftsmen's name (workshop).

Links for dolls
Please visit very uselful web pages about Japanese Doll.
http://web.clas.ufl.edu/users/jshoaf/Jdolls/sale.htm#hakata
Please visit very uselful directory
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