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Boy's Day Samurai Doll depicting Nobunaga on Horse with hat, iris decorations, saddle A: Separate head molded from wood paste and dipped in gofun (oyster shell powder), pink complexion; inset glass coated brown eyes; black painted feathery upswept eyebrows, upper eyelashes and hairline; painted dark red pursed lips; black silk fiber hair is pulled up into topknot wrapped with purple cord, lying on top of bald pate, most of the hair is missing and black paint shows through. B: Body of figure is in sitting position with knees bent and left foot turned out, carved wood hands dipped in gofun are slightly extended, right one in ring shaped to hold a weapon, arms slightly bent. Hand guards of paper mache are painted gold and have a ridged edge. Clothing consists of hitatare short kimono with the arms out of the sleeves which hang towards the back (lined with ivory colored silk twill) and slit at center back, made of dark blue silk brocade with gold medallion scattered pattern containing double dragons and peonies, band collar, stiffened with paper, lined with beige silk damask. Beneath the jimbaori are showing the sleeves of under kimonos, right sleeve of olive silk brocade with black, yellow and brown phoenix design, tied at wrist with two rows of purple cord and twisted silk (replacement?), left sleeve of the olive silk brocade is pulled up the arm and beneath this is another silk brocade sleeve in orange and gold tied at the wrist with flat purple silk cord; the green brocade robe can be seen at the collar and around the neck are 4 layers of white silk collars. Armour consists of a breastplate made of ribbed paper card with 3 gold painted tiers, laced with flat maroon silk cord, laced at the bottom with off-white silk cord, laced at sides with olive cords; an engraved metal piece with cloud design sits at the top and is loose (2 nails missing); beneath and above this is paper mache covered with olive colored brocade in a floral design, upper edge painted with gold and trimmed with olive green round cord; olive green flat cords are attached here to hold the breastplate. Stuffed red and gold silk brocade sash is tied in a knot in the front. Three panels of four tiers of armour hang from the waist in front, made of cardboard covered with chipping gold paint, ridges are formed with rolled paper, laced with flat purple silk cord and off-white cord in X shapes at the bottom. Beneath are two green silk damask panels with 8 pieces of gold painted paper decorations laced with round purple silk cord. At back side are similar armour panels painted with black lacquer with blue cords and with flat brown cord, joined at the edge with purple cords. The bottom is laced horizontally with maroon cord. Short hakama is made of beige silk brocade with dark brown motifs of plum and Shishi (lion dog), black silk band at bottom is stiffened with paper. Underneath are red silk brocade leggings with gold floral medallions and cloud shapes. Molded wood paste feet are dipped in gofun, very white representing tabi socks. C: Hat, eboshi style, H: 4.25", Diam: 2.25", made of textured paper painted black, white stiffened silk habutae band with a bow tacked at the back with a silver colored metal boss in a chrysanthemum shape, round purple silk cord hangs from either side to be tied under the chin. D & E: Protect decorations in the shape of iris leaves, L: 18", W: 4.75". Wooden conical base, unfinished, has paper and wire iris leaves painted green, faded to beige on front side, green paper chrysanthemum leaves with wire stiffening in front (rusted wire), wrapped at bottom with triangle shaped off-white ripple finished paper and tied on outside with white and black mizuhiki cord (faded from red and gold?) with a fancy knot. Wooden base should fit into model vases. F: Horse model, H: 39.75", L: 48", W: 10", wood core and stuffed with straw, covered with black velvet, starched black fiber mane and tail, ears stand straight up and are painted orange inside, open mouth, lips and nose are painted gray blue, orange nostrils and tongue, beige upper and lower teeth, teeth and tongue appear to be made of molded papier mache; black inset glass eyes, orange genitals. Metal bit held in mouth is in a open square shape with a red crepe bridle sewed to the surface of the horse with red silk cords with tasseled ends attached to the bit; blue striped shibori beige reins. Under pad for saddle (aori) "mud guards" made of four layered paper painted olive green on inside and on white outside covered with sisal to imitage tiger skin fur (wearing off), red brocade horse blanket is glued to paper, has two red crepe bands (munagai and obasami) going across chest and rump with corded fringe attached with red tacks, blue silk cord decorative knot with tassel in front. Hooves have blue painted paper covering. G: Saddle, H: 8", L: 9.5", black lacquered paper mache, shaped rounded center with front and back pommels, off-white, red, lavendar and yellow on green silk brocade covering in center, black lacquer on sides pieces, front and back are painted with a gold vine design except for one which has a cloud formation, white paper underneath, metal rod support across the center. Condition: Most of the hair is missing from head. Right foot is loose and the feet are soiled, gofun peeled off right hand, rip at right side of collar near waist of jimbaori, hakama black bands are torn; front panel decorations are deteriorated, front lower armour panels have the gold chipped off, partially torn right hand guard. On hat the silk band has deteriorated to show paper stiffener beneath. Insect holes in horse body, under hooves are deterioting. 5 petalled squash with Chinese flower Karahana interior - Mokko mon -- Asakura Oda Horita Arima family (Nobunaga) (p. 71 top left)

1993.004.166