The gosho doll is one of noble descent, and the name means “palace doll,” a reference to the Imperial Palace in Kyoto during the Edo period. They were originally created by doll makers in Kyoto specifically to be gifts from the Imperial household to their special visitors, who treasured them. The merchant class wanted to emulate this royal gift giving ritual, and thus the practice of giving gosho ningyo as special meaningful gifts spread throughout Japan. Gosho ningyo are a uniquely Japanese form, and by tradition, they represent chubby little boys with large heads and brilliant white skin. They have minimal painted facial features, just the essential amount of detail to capture the essence of the child. Instead of switching to the popular inserted glass eyes, gosho artists maintained the spirit of these dolls by keeping the traditional black inked eye treatment. They generally show an originality and character which places them in a special category of Japanese dolls. In Japan these dolls are considered to be a classic art form and are appreciated as such.

CONDITION is excellent; no cracks, chips or loss to the gofun.

DIMENSIONS: Doll is 15” (38 cm) high with base. Vitrine is 12 ¾” (32.5 cm) x 11” (28 cm) x 19” (48.3 cm) high.