HAKATA  URASAKI DOLLS  JAPAN  THREE FIGURINES   VINTAGE UNGLAZED FINISH

Description

HAKATA URASAKI DOLL
These were in my mother’s basement. I had never seen them before and since she is gone I can’t ask her about them. They looked as if they had been packed away for a very long time. I did a little research on them and I think my grandfather may have brought them back from his travels. He is the only one I know that had traveled the world. See pictures for up close details.
A
Hakata doll
(
博多人形
,
Hakata ningyō
)
is a
traditional Japanese clay doll
, originally from the city of
Fukuoka
, part of which was previously named Hakata before the city merger in 1889.
Hakata dolls appeared in the 1890 National Industrial Exhibition in Japan and in the
Exposition Universelle
(Paris World Expo) in 1900 and became a topic of discussion. “Dolls of the World” were made with Hakata techniques and were well-received at the Paris expo; they are now in a collection at the General Research Museum at
Tokyo University
. Delicately made with rich coloration, these “Dolls of the World” were sold for 1
yen
and 50
sen
in those days.