An empty shell, glass eyes, a beautiful dress are ordinary dolls with which girls play in childhood, and when a child grows up, they throw her away without regrets. This is done everywhere, but not in Japan. Japanese dolls are a special kind of art, most of them are not for games, but for various kinds of rituals. What are the dolls in the Land of the Rising Sun and what are their features? This will be discussed today.
Ninge
All traditional dolls in Japan are called Ninge. This word consists of two kanji 人形, which means “man” and “form”. Therefore, in the literal translation, Japanese dolls are called "human form."
In the Land of the Rising Sun, there are many types of dolls. Some depict children, others the imperial family and courtiers, others depict fairy-tale characters, warriors or demons. The main part of the dolls is made for traditional Japanese holidays or for gifts. Some are made especially for tourists as souvenirs.
Initially, Japanese dolls were created to protect the home and family from serious illnesses, curses and evil spirits. But today they have largely lost their mystical spirit, turning into an exquisite work of art.
First samples
The first dolls appeared in Japan more than 10 thousand years ago. These were simple amulets. For a long time they did not change their shape, only in the era of Kofun (300-710 CE) did large clay monuments of warriors and animals begin to appear, which were installed on graves as monuments, which simultaneously played the role of guards.
Dolls turned into toys during the Heian era - 784-1185. In the Edo era, the creation of dolls was considered a real art. This time was marked by the creation of ninges of various forms and destinations.
In 1936, Japanese dolls received the status of officially recognized art. Since 1955, every spring, selected masters in the manufacture of ninges can receive the honorary title of Living National Treasure.
Sacrificed
In the process of development of the puppet industry, Ninge began to be used in a variety of areas of human activity. At one time they were used to remove the evil eye, and sacrificed instead of animals. It was believed that if the monk performed the ritual correctly, then the doll would become as much a victim as an animal, and in some cases even better.
For rituals with sacrifice, the dolls were made in the form of a man, not an animal. The ritual itself consisted of simple manipulation: the priest attached a curse or illness to a figure that replaced a person. It was believed that ritual dolls have a soul, so it is inconceivable to throw them away. Ninga, who took illness from a person, was burned or drowned in a river.
At a time when conducting such rituals was very popular, many stories were invented about vengeful dolls that had their own will and were endowed with great power. Such warning stories served as a kind of guarantee that the ritual will be carried out to the end. Those who were lucky enough to become a participant in such an event and hear first-hand horrible stories about living Ning, began to realize that these were not toys. Japanese dolls are truly ritual attributes.
Materials and varieties
To create dolls, wood, clay, paper, natural fabrics and even living chrysanthemums are often used. Let Ninga today be an ordinary cultural heritage, some Japanese sincerely believe that correctly selected dolls will help to improve health, bring wealth and protect from troubles. Japanese dolls can hardly be called simple, they are expensive, and in houses they stand in a place of honor - in the red corner (this is a kind of sanctuary for spirits).
Traditional Japanese dolls come in many forms:
- Hina ninge.
- Gogatsu-ninge.
- Karakuri-ninge.
- Gose Ninge.
- Kimekomi-ninge.
- Hakata Ninge.
- Kokeshi.
- Daruma.
- Kiku Ninge.
Wooden figures
In Japan, dolls are more than just fun. This is a whole world that has its own history, religion and aesthetics. So that for the most part they are intended for adults.
For several centuries, there have been wooden dolls in Japan that represent a painted cone-shaped figure with a large head. These are Japanese Kokeshi dolls (in another Kokeshi pronunciation).
They are completely covered with elegant ornamentation, consist of a cylindrical body and a disproportionately large head. There are times when such a doll is embedded from a single piece of wood, but this is an exception to the rule.
For such dolls, the absence of arms and legs is characteristic. Today Kokeshi is a popular souvenir product, every self-respecting tourist will definitely take such a ninga home.
Japanese tumblers
Another type of Japanese doll is Daruma, or a tumbler doll. But this is only for us tumblers are considered fun entertainment for children under seven years of age. In Japan, Daruma is an artifact with the help of which the inhabitants of the country conduct rituals to fulfill their desires. In Japanese mythology, Daruma is considered the personification of a deity who brings happiness.
In order to fulfill a wish, on New Year's Eve, you must come to the temple and purchase a Darum doll there. After you need to make a wish and write it on one of the eyes of the Ning, the owner writes his name on the chin of the doll. Throughout the year, this Daruma needs to be stored in the house in the most prominent place, you can put it on your home altar - butsudan.
If desire comes true in a year, then the second eye is finished for the doll, and if nothing changes, then you need to take Daruma to the temple where it was purchased, burn it and buy a new one. Burning a doll in the temple is a symbol of purification, and means that a person does not abandon his goals, but is looking for new ways to achieve them.
Japanese dolls for girls
Starting from the 17th century, Japan annually celebrates Hinamatsuri "Girls' Day", or the so-called Japanese Puppet Festival . This holiday is considered one of the main in Japan, it is celebrated on March 3.
In ancient times, this event had a more mystical meaning: girls and girls let paper ninga along the river, which were supposed to take misfortunes and illnesses with them.
Today, this holiday has been preserved in only a few places. On the day of the holiday, girls and girls gather in beautiful, elegant kimonos on the banks of the rivers closest to the city, as well as their parents and let down flat, round wicker baskets along the river where several paper dolls of Nagashi-bin lie.
The founder of this holiday was Emperor Yoshimune, who had many daughters. First, the court noble followed his example, all rich people of that time began to hold such an event, and after that the whole country began to do so.
Modern Hinamatsuri
Today, on this holiday, families with daughters arrange an exhibition of dolls - “hina” in the house. The house has a multi-tiered staircase - hinakajiri, which is covered with red cloth. These steps symbolically depict the tiers of court life. At the top step is the imperial couple. These dolls are very expensive, since clothes are sewn to order from high quality materials, in addition, the empress is dressed in 12 kimonos, as it happens in reality.
The court maids of honor, who hold items for serving sake, are set a level below. The palace guards are put down even more steps below, court musicians stand under them. After the musicians put up ministers, and know, on the lowest tier are the servants.
Purchase and Legacy
These dolls are transferred to the family through the maternal line, they begin to exhibit in the first year after the birth of the girl. During the holiday period, the child can not only enjoy the home puppet show, but also play with them. There is also a belief that if you do not remove the dolls within three days after the holiday, then the daughters will not be able to get married for a long time.
A complete set consists of 15 dolls, sometimes another tier is made on which household items, that is, doll furniture, are displayed. The staircase itself is richly decorated with lanterns and flowers, in addition to dolls, screens and tiny trees are placed on the shelves. All jewelry is purchased at a special fair, a complete set of chin dolls costs about 10 thousand euros. If the family does not have enough money to buy dolls, they can be replaced with paper counterparts.
Other dolls
In addition to those already presented, there are other varieties of dolls. Gogatsu-ninge or May dolls are an indispensable part of the Tango No Secu celebration, or Children's Day. These dolls depict samurai in a full set of armor, historical characters, heroes of epics, folklore, tigers and horses.
Karikuri-ninge are mechanical dolls. Gose-ninge - small Japanese dolls depicting thick-skinned children. They are cut out of wood and covered with a composition made from oyster shells. The first to be made by masters at the imperial court, hence the name came to be - palace dolls. Gose Ninges are considered talismans for travelers.
Kimekomi are wooden dolls, fully pasted with cloth. The first Kimekomi appeared in the Kamo Temple (Kyoto), then at the beginning of the XVII century the monks made souvenirs for sale. The first dolls were carved from wood; modern Kimekomi are made from wood-glue mass.
Special cuts are made on the body of the figure, where the edges of the fabric are tucked, hence the name comes: “Komi” - tuck, “Kime” - the wooden side.
Hakata and Kiku Ninge
Hakata-ninge are dolls made of ceramics. According to legends, the first such statuettes appeared in Fukuoka Prefecture. In 1900, these dolls were presented at the Paris exhibition. In 1924, the Hakata Ninge, depicting three dancing girls, received a silver award at the Paris International Fair.
And the most interesting work of Kiku-Ninge puppet art is figurines from living chrysanthemums.
They consist of a bamboo base, on which chrysanthemums dug with roots with small flowers are attached. To make such a work longer pleasing to the eye, the roots of chrysanthemums are wrapped in moss. The height of Kiku-ninge is equal to human growth, the face and hands for a floral figure are made of papier-mâché. Each autumn, during the flowering of chrysanthemums, such dolls can be seen at traditional exhibitions in the cities of Hirakata and Nihonmatsu.
Ninge is a separate universe with a rich history and diverse traditions. Photos of Japanese dolls, which are presented in the article, are not able to convey all their splendor. But even so it is clear that these are not just toys, but real works of art.