- Hakata ningyō
are traditional Japanese clay dolls, originally from the city of Fukuoka, part of which was previously named Hakata before the city merger in 1889.
History
The commonly accepted origin of Hakata dolls is 17th-century
Hakata ; artisans includingSouhiti Masaki produced clay dolls, sometimes presented as gifts to Buddhist temples and toKuroda Nagamasa , the ruler of Hakata at that time. These dolls were called nihongo|Hakata suyaki ningyō|"博多素焼人形", "Hakata unglazed doll". Hakata also has a famous festival,Hakata Gion Yamakasa , which involves decoratedNingyō floats. The floats are made fromwood , but it is believed that the method of production of these floats strongly influenced the Hakata doll. However, recent archaeological evidence discovered during the excavation of Hakata, including simple biscuit-fired toys, has put the origin of Hakata dolls inChina .Hakata dolls appeared in the 1890 National Industrial Exhibition in Japan and in the
Exposition Universelle in 1900 and it became a topic of discussion in Japan and other countries. The “Dolls of the World” which were made with Hakata techniques and were so popular at the Paris World Expo, are now in a collection at the General Research Museum atTokyo University . Delicately made with rich coloration, these “Dolls of the World” were sold for 1 yen and 50 sen in those days.At the end of the 19th century, Hakata dolls transformed from simple biscuit-fired toys to works of art. Master craftsman
Rokusaburō Shirouzu began to study colour theory, human proportions, and other modern artistic theories and techniques underItusyo Yada , an oil painter, which led to the production of more realistic Hakata.Yoichi Kojima , a student of Rokusaburō Shirouzu, won a gold medal in Paris' 1925 International Exposition of Modern Industrial and Decorative Arts for his Hakata dolls, and fellow studentsKihei Harada andYoichi Oayu were awarded silver medals.The Hakata doll gained worldwide fame when American soldiers took them back to the United States as souvenirs during the
American occupation of Japan following theSecond World War . Japan started exporting Hakata dolls soon afterwards. At the same time, the Hakata doll became well known domestically, and factories began producing Hakata dolls of lesser quality. Although the image of the Hakata doll is no longer popular, some artisans continue to make Hakata dolls in the traditional fashion.References
* [http://www.japanarts.jp/ Beauty of Japanese Art Imari & Hakata Doll]
* cite book
last = Hakata Doll
first = Association
authorlink =
title = Hakata Ningyo Enkakushi
publisher = Hakata Doll Association
date = March, 2001
location = Japan
pages =
id =External links
* [http://www.hakataningyo.com/index.htm Hakata Doll Association] jp icon
* [http://www.existenz.co.jp/fn2.htm Information and overview of Hakata dolls]
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