Objects We Remember Issue 6 Home Page

I'll Never Throw Those Dolls Away Yuri Sugiuchiuri from Japan writes about how special these dolls are for young Japanese girls. Photo: Sandy Peters My sisters and I had contemporary ones of our own. However, I like my mother's better. The same atmosphere of my parents' feelings for their daughter remains there. Their old appearance also makes me respect them. In our country, the parents buy dolls when they have a girl to wish for the prosperity of their daughter in the future. It must be a pleasure for parents to choose and buy dolls. When a daughter comes to the age of three or four, she recognizes dolls and comes to be fascinated by them. Girls spend a lot of time admiring them with special feelings because the dolls were bought for them, the dolls belong to them, and girls are proud of them. So when parents choose one for their little princess, they pay much attention to the doll's face, eyes, nose, lips and clothes. My mother's old dolls were special The most expensive ones may cost more than ten thousand dollars. My mother's wasn't expensive though. My grandfather was an oil painter, but wasn't famous. He didn't earn much money. Yet, I really like them. My sisters and I had contemporary ones of our own. However, I like my mother's better. The same atmosphere of my parents' feelings for their daughter remains there. Their old appearance also makes me respect them. Making and arranging the dolls is an elaborate process? All the dolls imitate persons in the court of about a thousand years ago. The emperor and the empress are the most important dolls. The retainers and followers are also there. The lively one is the band with old musical instruments. Finally, the younger sisters of the empress are watching over everything with good manners. The gorgeous furniture with gold leaf paintings is decorated to boast. The stand for the dolls is seven steps of stairs. All the dolls decorate each step. The order of each of them is learned by heart. Silk is the common material for their clothes and exquisite embroideries are on them. The emperor and the empress are the most heavily clothed. The faces and hands are made of porcelain. The faces are painted by hand. This requires skill, so some dolls, which are painted by famous craftsmen are the most expensive. We girls and women never get tired of staring at them. A special event once a year Only once a year do we take out the boxes and decorate them for a day upon which we celebrate the girls' prosperity. When we open the boxes, we become excited. After one year's absence, when we see the dolls, we feel as if there are spiritual things inside the dolls, as if the craftsman blew a soul in the dolls when they drew a line of eyes. I'll never throw them away. Another remembered object: My Shuttlecocks Return to: Objects We Remember | Issue 6 | Home Page  TOPICS Online Magazine - ©1997-2007- Sandy and Thomas Peters - topics.mag@gmail.com