East Asia, Japan, late Edo to early Meiji period, ca. 1800 to 1912 CE. A fascinating puppet of a demon or goblin displaying a wooden head, arms, and feet with a cloth body. Hand-painted in hues of lime green, emerald, light blue, magenta, chocolate brown, and black, the figure's enormous head features an expressive visage composed of huge, bulging eyes beneath a narrowed brow, a curved nose, and a wide mouth with bared teeth, all flanked by a pair of pointed ears. Black horsehair extends from the figure's face, creating elongated eyebrows, a lengthy beard, and a short moustache. Trunkless, he wears an elaborate cloak featuring a Japanese character, possibly the "kotobuki" symbol meaning "long life," on each side enveloped by an intricate geometric design in shades of orange, yellow, ochre, light pink, brown, and green with lustrous strands of gold, silver, and magenta string details, as well as glistening sequins in areas. Lovely marigold-colored tassels line the peripheries of the cloak. Beneath the cloak, the fantastical figure's body is composed of burlap cloth with a pair of black and white wood boots at the bottom and 2 arms, 1 yellow and the other bare woodgrain, jutting out at either side. A pair of small sashes with fur at the bottom hang from his cloak and several lines of Japanese script are inscribed on his body, just beneath his head. Size: 13.5" W (arm-span) x 23" H (34.3 cm x 58.4 cm); 23.25" H (59.1 cm) on included custom stand.

Traditional Japanese puppet theatre involves the use of puppet dolls like this example to act out a chanted narrative, called joruri, as the music of a three-stringed lute, known as a samisen, is played. The term used for these performances, Bunraku, derives from the name of a troupe initially organized by Uemura Bunrakuken, an early 19th century puppet master. When used in performances, traditional narratives are told via the virtuosic handling of such puppets, and the result is poetry in motion!

Provenance: ex-Stein collection, Bloomfield Hills, Michigan, USA, acquired prior to 2010

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#164353

Some nicks, chips, and abrasions to wood. Expected fraying to fabric. Otherwise, excellent.