Iki-ningyō
Encyclopedia
Iki-ningyō were a type of ningyō
, Japanese traditional dolls. They are life-sized life-like dolls, that were popular in misemono
during the Edo period
of Japan. The name is now used mainly to denote shop store mannequin
s.
Artists famous during the Edo period for making iki-ningyō include Akiyama Heijūrō, Takedoa Nuinosuke, Matsumoto Kisaburō (松本喜三郎), and Yasumoto Kamehachi (安本亀八). The dolls that they made were novel not just for their subjects that shocked viewers — figures lying in pools of their own blood, for example, or Akiyama Heijuro's "Development of a Fetus", a life-sized model of a pregnant woman whose abdomen opens up to reveal twelve supposed stages of development of a human fetus
in the womb — but for their influence upon the genre of ningyō. The works of Kamehachi and Kisaburō, in particular, contributed to the form an extreme sense of realism.
The earliest exhibition of iki-ningyō, as recorded in Tommori Seiichi's biography of Kamehachi, was the 1852-02-02 exhibition by Ōe Chūbei entitled Representations of Modern Dolls in this Year of Abindance in the Naniwashinchi brothel district of Osaka
. Chūbei's name imayō-ningyō ("modern dolls") indicated that he considered this form of doll to be modern and new.
Japanese traditional dolls
Japanese traditional dolls are known by the name in Japan, which literally means human shape.There are various types of Japanese dolls, some representing children and babies, some the imperial court, warriors and heroes, fairy-tale characters, gods and demons, and also people of the daily life of...
, Japanese traditional dolls. They are life-sized life-like dolls, that were popular in misemono
Misemono
-Introduction:', "shows" or "exhibitions", were an important part of Japanese urban culture during the Edo period. Many of the shows were put on hurriedly and were characterized by their crudeness. The term misemono dates from the Edo period, although plausible forerunners of the performances...
during the Edo period
Edo period
The , or , is a division of Japanese history which was ruled by the shoguns of the Tokugawa family, running from 1603 to 1868. The political entity of this period was the Tokugawa shogunate....
of Japan. The name is now used mainly to denote shop store mannequin
Mannequin
A mannequin is an often articulated doll used by artists, tailors, dressmakers, and others especially to display or fit clothing...
s.
Artists famous during the Edo period for making iki-ningyō include Akiyama Heijūrō, Takedoa Nuinosuke, Matsumoto Kisaburō (松本喜三郎), and Yasumoto Kamehachi (安本亀八). The dolls that they made were novel not just for their subjects that shocked viewers — figures lying in pools of their own blood, for example, or Akiyama Heijuro's "Development of a Fetus", a life-sized model of a pregnant woman whose abdomen opens up to reveal twelve supposed stages of development of a human fetus
Fetus
A fetus is a developing mammal or other viviparous vertebrate after the embryonic stage and before birth.In humans, the fetal stage of prenatal development starts at the beginning of the 11th week in gestational age, which is the 9th week after fertilization.-Etymology and spelling variations:The...
in the womb — but for their influence upon the genre of ningyō. The works of Kamehachi and Kisaburō, in particular, contributed to the form an extreme sense of realism.
The earliest exhibition of iki-ningyō, as recorded in Tommori Seiichi's biography of Kamehachi, was the 1852-02-02 exhibition by Ōe Chūbei entitled Representations of Modern Dolls in this Year of Abindance in the Naniwashinchi brothel district of Osaka
Osaka
is a city in the Kansai region of Japan's main island of Honshu, a designated city under the Local Autonomy Law, the capital city of Osaka Prefecture and also the biggest part of Keihanshin area, which is represented by three major cities of Japan, Kyoto, Osaka and Kobe...
. Chūbei's name imayō-ningyō ("modern dolls") indicated that he considered this form of doll to be modern and new.