Gosho Doll Set Two Dolls in Lidded Wooden Box. A: Seated figure of young boy carved from wood and covered with gofun, large, round bald head with tiny carved nose, mouth, and chin dimple and ears, black painted sideburns, eyebrows and eyes, red painted lips. Wears eboshi, gold painted hat, which is moulded with depression in the front, glued to the top of the head and tied under the chin with red silk cord. Red satin band with green fringe tied around neck. Body is carved with grooves into which an orange, gold and white vest is pressed. Accents of silver, purple and gold on each side of the bare white knees. Small blue cord tied in a knot in center front. White puddgy arms and hands with red finger nails. Carved as part of the figure is what looks like a white bird but is actually a sea bream on his knee. It has painted orange, gold,green, black, and blue markings. B: Seated figure of young boy carved from wood and covered with gofun, large, round bald head with tiny carved nose, mouth, and chin dimple and ears, black painted sideburns, eyebrows and eyes, red painted lips. Wears eboshi, gold painted hat, which is moulded with depression in the front, glued to the top of the head and tied under the chin with red silk cord. Red satin band with green fringe tied around neck. Body is carved with grooves into which an orange, gold and white vest is pressed. Accents of silver, purple and gold on each side of the bare white knees. Small blue cord tied in a knot in center front. White pudgy arms and hands with red finger nails. Carved as part of the figure is what looks like a white bird but is actually a sea bream on his knee. It has painted orange, gold,green, black, and blue markings. Has chip out of right eyebrow. C & D: Wooden Box, H: 3", W: 4", D: 5", On bottom of box is written "Gosho - Ningyo" On the lid is label of gold speckled paper with black ink kanji "Meditai Mochi" (Sea bream as symbol for happy occasion). Inside the lid is an explanatory card in Japapnese, with picture of a pink Mt. fuji. At one end is Japanese character inside a circle.Fukugawa Ceramics, started 320 years ago, started making Arita ware from clay, trademark is Mount Fuji, in Meiji era 43 they received imperial household order because of the beautiful porcelain lustre they produced and lead slip. Sent to World Fair in St. Louis they won first prize; received over 200 awards for their work. In Showa 37 they changed their method to make bone china to surpass English china. In Showa 46 built a factory to mass produce porcelain.

1996.010.067