Koto playing Japanese doll A: Kneeling/sitting doll wearing a formal black kimono, elaborately tied obi. Wears two layers of under robes (nagajuban), which show only at collar and hem. She has an elaborate hairdo of a young girl made of black fiber, tied in back with wide silver paper; both sides, front and back have a smooth, puffy look; top back is tied with 6 silver and gold twisted wire cords; a decorative lacquer comb with a folding fan design on off white, back is plain yellow, gold painted teeth; in front of comb is a 3 -layered silver and gold curled paper decoration; to the right is a kanzashi pale pink and white flower with 3 tanzaku shape tassels made of metal. Her head is skewed toward her right and inlaid glass eyes cast downward. Her face if dipped in gofun; black painted eyebrows and eyes, red painted lips; neck is exposed at back. She holds her arms in front raised to her waistline and appears to be putting koto picks on her right hand. Her hands are covered with white silk crepe. The koto picks appear to be made of wood with a red band. Style of round picks indicate she plays the Yamada style school of koto playing. Kimono has design of open orange, yellow, black, blue and red folding fan and water; has gold and silver speckles throughout; long sleeves with same design as kimono front should be flared out to show kimono design when she plays; opening of sleeve and wrist shows ivory crepe nagajuban, red damask juban (indicating a young woman). Each fan has a different floral motif: white peony, cherry blossom, old bridge with willow tree at edge, pine tree, muti-colored maple leaves and iris. Obi is satin brocade with a five petaled flower in blue, salmon, chartreuse and gold thread in a tortoise shell design, tree branches; white silk grosgrain ribbon obi jime tied in a knot in front; shibori white and pink dotted obi age tied in a knot in front above and tucked into top of obi. Plain heavy silk crepe ivory nagajuban; kari eri (collar) has silver tortoise shell design on off- white background; underneath this is a solid red crepe undergarment which shows at the back of neck and at sleeve edge. B: Koto, L: 17.625", D: 2.625", H: 1.625", appears to be made of kiri wood with fixed legs painted dark brown. (higher leg goes to player's right and shorter leg to left) 13 strings made of regular cotton cord sit on top of 13 bamboo pegs (removeable), strings extend across 2 ivory plastic bridges, goes through holes in a brown band on left side of koto, the strings extend and are tied at the end, extra string is wrapped in loops underneath; red and gold brocade cloth placed underneath to protect koto and a brown decorative leaf like petal in front of this; the left (head) end has white pasted paper as a decoration. Shellaced top, hollow, unfinished bottom. C: Cushion for seated doll, W: 11.75, D: 9.5", H: 1.25", made of habutai silk with shibori diagonal design in white and red on pink background in diagonal stripes, on top of this is an orange hyotan gourd shape with a white outline, purple, red, white, yellow, light blue, dark blue, orange, green and yellow butterfly with yellow and gray antennae and 2 blue, yellow, green and purple kiri flowers on top of gourd, tied with chartreuse cord; further down is another yellow gourd outlined in white and decorated with tortoise shell design and kiri flower, tied with orange cord. The bottom has blue gourd outlined in white decorated with colorful kine pestle shapes and masu measuring cup set (squares within squares) in orange, green, white and yellow. Stuffed with cotton and held in place with royal blue embroidery thread at the center and at each corner.

1998.054.001