**Originally Listed At $1200**

East Asia, Japan, Meiji Period, ca. late 19th to early 20th century CE. A fine gofun and cloth doll representing a samurai or shogun, sitting in a commanding and upright position on a separate black lacquer camp or field chair. He is richly dressed in a silk brocade with metallic threads in the trim around his sleeves. The armor is made of brass segmented panels and breastplate, attached with red and white cords woven through the plates. The body under the clothing is a simple wooden frame with rods as legs and black wood feet. Both hands are gofun, the fingers on both are molded into a curled grip that once held a separate sword or other weapon. The ceramic head is also beautifully rendered with naturalistic glass eyes and horsehair pulled into a topknot. This is a special warrior doll known as a musha-ningyo that was made to celebrate Boy's Day to inspire bravery and courage. The dolls were elaborately dressed and represented ideal heroes and strong leaders from history and legends. Size: 8" L x 15" W x 10" H (20.3 cm x 38.1 cm x 25.4 cm)

The samurai tradition is treasured and unique to Japanese history. The samurai was the venerated guardian of the people, trained from birth to live up to his birthright and work toward the highest honors of his elite class. This class was second only to the Imperial family in the Japanese social hierarchy. Given their place in society, the samurai were great patrons of many artforms, including swords, armor and fittings which were considered works of art. Hence, "Bushido" or "Way of the samurai" is an important aspect of Japanese society. During the Meiji period (1868-1912) and the restoration of the emperor as the locus of power, the musha-ningyo dolls often represented characters that were the most devoted and loyal to the emperor, a subconscious political message to the boys that received these dolls.

Provenance: private Hawaii, USA collection, 1995 to 2010

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#168414

Fair condition. Fading and fraying to fabric. Staining and discoloration to cloth. Losses to cords holding armor plates together and fraying to shoulder pads, hems, posterior, and pants, and some armor segments are loose. Active flaking of fiber particles. Patina on brass areas. Tearing and losses to hair on the dolls head and chips and fading to pigment son face as shown, with modern paint speckles discoloration on the visage. Chips to hands and feet. One leg is reattached with adhesive. Lacquered chair is intact and very good.