Edo Kimekomi Ningyo (Wood and Cloth Dolls)〜Traditional Crafts of Tokyo JAPAN

History and Characteristics:
Kimekomi Ningyo (wood and cloth dolls) are said to have been born in Kyoto approximately 250 years ago during the Genbun Era (1736-1741). There was a priest by the name of Horikawa at the Kamigamo Shrine, as well as Tadashige Takahashi, a man in the employ of the priest's family. Between jobs, Takahashi amused himself by creating dolls from willow offcuts that were leftover from the manufacture of shrine festival accouterments. These he clothed in fabric scraps from priestly robes. These scraps were tucked into slits carved into the bodies of the dolls.
In that such dolls used willow from the banks of the Kamo River, they came to be known as "Yanagi Ningyo" (Willow Dolls), "Kamo Ningyo" (Kamo Dolls) and "Kamogawa Ningyo" (Kamogawa Dolls), etc. It is said these dolls represent the beginnings of the modern Kimekomi Ningyo.
Concerning the "Kimekomi" name, it was born from the practice of carving small grooves into which cloth was tucked. These might be used to create a crease effect or to tuck away cloth edges. Regarding the manner in which "Kimekomi" is written in kanji characters, the implication of the characters used is "to tuck precisely." It means that tucking is done precisely so that dolls present with very smooth dress lines.
Compared to dolls dressed separately (with separate articles of clothing), and whose bodies are created from straw or wood, etc., the basic shape (body) of a Kimekomi Ningyo is made of toso, which is a resin comprised of paulownia sawdust to which has been added an adhesive stiffener. The cloth fabric is pushed snugly into the body of the doll to give it its completed finish. This is another reason for the Kimekomi name, in that a literal translation of "Kimekomi" is the "act of pushing something into slits that have been cut in wood."
A single piece of cloth is used to dress Kimekomi Ningyo. Thus, in that the body lies directly beneath a single layer of cloth, it is said that body-shaping represents a key production process, it defining the Kimekomi Ningyo style.
Compared to the Kimekomi Ningyo produced in Kyoto which are known for their regal bearing in terms of the manner in which the face is depicted, those produced in Tokyo tend to be typified by somewhat narrower faces and more clearly defined eyes and noses.

[@user-rj6wx5rm2p]

職人技ですね！私は木目込人形作りに使うハサミや彫刻刀も研いでいます。動画やホームページを見てください。