Ancient Dolls of Japan: Warrior Dolls

        GOGATSU MUSHA NINGYO : WARRIOR DOLLS: These dolls are made especially for the May Doll Festival, - the doll festival particularly for boys, held annually on the fifth day of May, one of the two great doll festivals of the year, the other one being for the girls and held in March. The custom was initiated in the Enid period, at the beginning of the tenth century, having its origin, it is said, at the Court, and perhaps growing out of an earlier practice of sending gifts of helmets and similar objects at that season.
       Still earlier, in the shadowed past, the children of knights had used their elders' arms as playthings, and from this employment or diversion of infantile energy developed the making of helmets and small arms for the celebration of children's birthdays. From these reminders of the military virtues, powers and glories, with which it was desired to impress the mind of the child, the warrior doll naturally evolved, and with the Genroku period (1688-1703), and after, prodigality of living led to the adornment of these dolls with elaborate appointments.

Left, Warrior Doll (About 1775) Representing Kato Kiyomasa, one of the greatest warriors of the late sixteenth and early seventeenth centuries, who led the Corean war under Hideyoshi, and was so powerful afterward under Ieyasu that the Shogun feared him and is credited with despatching him (in 161-1) by the poison route. The Coreans called Kiomasa the "devil warrior," and he is said to have worn
a helmet three feet tall. He is shown in silks and gold brocade, and sixteenth century gilded armor, with his device of gilded and green feathers and his long spear - which was three-pointed until in killing a tiger one of the arms was broken off, after which the great man's weapon was always represented as having only the two points. Height, 18 1/2 inches.

Center, Warrior Doll (About 1775) Yoritomo, the famous fighting man who after the battle of Yashima in 1185 became the greatest power in Japan after the Emperor Go Toba, who gave him the title of chief administrator, Sei-I-Tai-Shogun. He is dressed in vermilion and gold, purple-blue and white, ami wears a gilded eboshi. Height, 21 inches.

Right, Warrior Doll (About 1775) Empress Jingu, the fifteenth ruler of Japan and one of the most famous, who is almost always represented as a warrior because of her martial spirit and accomplishments. She is in imperial robes of gold brocade, and carries the general's fan and a long sword. This is the famous empress who invaded Corea. The gods had bidden her husband the Emperor Chiuai to do so but he was heedless, and when they then inspired her to prod him he became obdurate, and exclaiming that there was no land to the West, that such dreams were of lying gods, he fell dead. Jingu then carried out the deities' orders and planted her lance in Shiragi, after which she feasted with one of the gods. She was the first ruler of Nippon to attempt foreign conquest. Height, 15 1/2 inches.

More Examples of Japanese Warrior Dolls:

• "Happiness of children" Japanese samurai armor
• Ningyo, samurai dolls in armor exhibit

Ancient Dolls of Japan: Palace Dolls, Costume Dolls, Warrior Dolls, Festival Dolls, Clay and Wooden Dolls, and Mechanical Dolls