I spotted this in a case at Brimfield in July, and could not walk away from her--such an exquisitely crafted Japanese doll, and an old one, c. 1900 or a bit earlier, with carved and painted wooden head and body, and real hair. I believe she would be called a "hina" doll (of which there are many types, standing and seated), which represented emperors and empresses and members of the court. The silk of her purple kimona is frayed, and much of the lower half of it lost entirely-- but all the better to see her paper skirt underneath, with what looks like inked calligraphy on the interior facing side, suggesting scrap paper, repurposed. She once would have stood on a base, but that 's gone too, though with two wires poking out underneath her paper skirt she could be mounted to something again.
7" tall x 2 3/4" and fairly delicate--especially her hair, which she is shedding just a tiny bit. Some loss to those beautiful carved hands, and loss to the silk of her kimona as noted. She can stand by leaning against something, or the two wires extending from her wooden legs could be stuck into museum wax or a new base.
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