Large Costumed Doll, "Miss Japan"
date: label: Accession Date
content: 28 Jan 1960
label: Collection Date
content: Feb. 29, 1928
name: label: Donor Name
content: Federal Council Church Of Christ
notes: label: Notes
content: ONE OF 58 "FRIENDSHIP" DOLLS [Torei Ningyo, Dolls of Gratitude or Friendship Dolls] SENT TO THE U.S. FROM JAPAN IN 1927 AS A TOKEN OF GOOD WILL, WITH VARIOUS ACCESSORIES (CATALOG NUMBERS 340127-340169) AND METAL STAND. EACH DOLL WAS MADE BY THE BEST CRAFTSMEN IN JAPAN AT COST (WITH ACCESSORIES) OF APPROX. $200. THE "MISS JAPAN" DOLL IS NAMED YAMATO HIDEKO [i.e. Hideko Yamato], AND WAS CONTRIBUTED BY THE IMPERIAL HOUSEHOLD. FOR DETAILS OF THE ENTIRE PROJECT CONCERNED WITH THIS DOLL REFER TO THE BOOK "DOLLS OF FRIENDSHIP", NEW YORK CITY: FRIENDSHIP PRESS, 1929. A new stand and support and new clothing and accessories were made for Miss Japan circa 1983. See Accession No. 361009 (accession file in Anthropology Collections Lab has the details), and Catalogue No. E423883-0. LENT TO TOKYO BROADCASTING SYSTEM, INC., OCT. 14, 1983. RETURNED 1/6/84. LENT TO THE CHUNICHI SHIMBUN, NAGOYA, JAPAN, 7/31/85. RETURNED 8/27/85. [Exhibit was "Women and World War II", August 8, 1985 - August 20, 1985.] LENT TO KOKUSAI BUNKA KYOKAI, Tokyo, 4/1/88. RETURNED 9/30/88. Exhibit was "Homecoming Exhibition of U.S.-Japan Doll Exchange". Lent to Japanese American National Museum, Los Angeles, California, July 18, 2002 - October 22, 2002 for exhibit "Passports to Friendship: Celebrating 75 Years of U.S.-Japan Friendship Doll Exchange."
label: Notes
content: A copy negative has been made of an old black and white Smithsonian exhibit photo of Miss Japan, her attendant doll (E340127), and accessories in an exhibit case - Smithsonian Photographic Services Neg. # is 2004-18707. This view shows Miss Japan with original haircut.
label: Notes
content: From Anthropology Conservation Lab Condition Report, 2002, see ACL files for additional information: Materials of doll: Wood; red, blue, pink, orange, green, white silk, cotton, gofun (oyster shell pigment); red and black paint; human hair; brown and white glass; copper alloy; paper; natural fiber thread; gold colored metallic thread. The doll depicts a young Japanese girl wearing a predominantly red kimono with traditional accessories. The doll is constructed of wood with the torso, head, arms, and legs painted with flesh colored gofun. The joint from the shoulder to the elbow is a soft material covered with white cloth. The torso bends at the legs, the knees bend, and her head slightly moves. The face is detailed with red painted lips, black eye lashes and brows, and pink ears. Human hair is glued to the head [Note that the hair was trimmed during the extensive 1983 restoration work done in Japan]. She has brown and white glass eye balls and her mouth is slightly open revealing white glass (?) teeth. She is dressed in multiple layers with white cotton combination underwear, white tabi (socks) and layers of colored embroidered silk. Her Kimono is elaborately detailed with animal and floral scenes and embroidered with silk and gold-colored thread. The obi is orange and there is a red and white obi-age and a white with floral decoration obi jime / cord. The red sash is "people length" rather than doll size.Tucked into the top of her obi is a fan and a red purse with a copper alloy hair pin. Doll has its original base and metal support. Materials of the base: Wood; black lacquer, plant fiber; orange, green, pink, gold, black, and purple dyed silk; cotton thread; copper alloy; iron. The rectangular base is made from a black laquered wooden frame with a woven mat (Tatami) covered wooden panel inset into the top surface. The frame is decorated with gilt flowers, two on the long side and one on each short side. On the front, between the two flowers is a gilt plaque with "Miss Dainippon" (i.e. Miss Japan) written in black letters. On the top the mat has a multi-colored silk brocade border. In the center near the back is a hole for the metal stand to support the doll. Under this on the interior is an additional rectangular piece of wood secured with nails. On the interior, an "L" shaped notch has been carved out of each corner.
label: Notes
content: Per Alan Scott Pate, 1-11-2010, Miss Japan was created by Maruhei Okiheizo of Kyoto. Yamada Tokubei and his Yoshitoku doll company oversaw the creation of 51 of the Friendship Dolls. Maruhei oversaw the creation of the 6 city dolls and Miss Japan.
label: Notes
content: Per Alan Scott Pate, 4-12-2011, a key with the collection is a trunk key made in New York circa 1927 for the travelling trunks used for the other Friendship dolls. Miss Japan never had a trunk since she never travelled.
label: Record Last Modified
content: 21 Apr 2025
label: Specimen Count
content: 2
place: label: Place
content: Japan, Asia
topic: label: Topic
content: Ethnology
culture: label: Culture
content: Japanese
setName: label: See more items in
content: Anthropology
dataSource: label: Data Source
content: NMNH - Anthropology Dept.
identifier: label: Accession Number
content: 100437
label: USNM Number
content: E340126-0
objectType: label: Object Type
content: Doll / Stand
physicalDescription: label: Height - Object
content: 76.1 cm