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      Nō-ningyō: Tsurukame

       Edo period, 19th century

       Height 12 inches

       Rosen Collection

      Nō-ningyō: Tsurukame

      Noh, Kabuki, and jōruri puppet performances provided rich subject matter for ningyō artists. Mitate gosho and ishō-ningyō were frequently based on important figures drawn from these popular dramatic forms. The crane and turtle dance from the Noh drama Tsurukame was frequently replicated in gosho form. The story is a simple one describing the visit of the Chinese Tang emperor to the Moon Pavilion (Gekkyūden). Here he is entertained by two courtiers who dance in the guise of the spirits of the crane and the turtle. The courtiers are soon joined by the emperor himself who dances before returning to his own palace.

      Both the crane and the turtle are important symbols of longevity in many Asian societies. In Japan, the pine, the turtle, and the crane are frequently grouped as design elements signifying auspicious wishes in general, and hope for longevity in particular. Part of the text of Tsurukame reads: "How numerous the examples of things that last a thousand ages. What should we begin with? First, the tortoise, green as the small princess pine. When it dances, so does the red-crested crane. They give one thousand years of long life to our lord."

      Plays and imagery incorporating longevity were often featured during the various New Year's celebrations. Images connoting these symbols were also popular in Japanese culture and could be found in textile design, architectural elements, and ornamental designs on many different applied arts as well as in Noh and popular theatrical staging, its meaning and symbolism lost on no one.

      Based on extant examples, gosho-ningyō interpretations of Tsurukame were particularly popular from the late eighteenth century. Most often depicted in sets of three, the grouping consisted of two courtier figures, each wearing a rounded metal crown, one topped with the image of a crane and the other a tortoise, and an emperor figure which would traditionally be placed in the center, wearing the winged cap of a Chinese nobleman.

      The figure shown here is an isolated emperor figure from a mitate gosho set depicting the Tsurukame. He is dressed in a rich silk kariginu-style nobleman's coat with a rounded neck and sleeve openings at the shoulder. His robe is decorated with various floral motifs with a large embroidered botan blossom in the center and on each sleeve. His undergarment is done in a tortoiseshell pattern with dragon roundels. In terms of construction, his head, torso, and legs are carved of wood and covered in gofun. The forearms and hands are separately carved and are attached to the body with a wire covered by a padded chirimen silk crepe sleeve. This allowed the arms to be moved and set in different positions. It also facilitated the removal of the outer sleeves of the jacket so that they could be thrown back to reveal the richly decorated under-garments, much like a true Noh costume. The use of metal wiring in the arms developed early in the ishō-ningyō tradition. An example of a hijin in the Tokyo National Museum, dated to the early eighteenth century, features this element. However, the technique was not widely applied to gosho-ningyō until the early nineteenth century. It can be seen as a structural precursor to the mitsuore triple-jointed dolls that became so popular later in the century.

      Nō-ningyō: Shakkyō

      One of the most powerful images drawn from Noh theater is that of the lion cavorting amidst the peonies, from the play Shakkyō (The Stone Bridge). The play itself unfolds in two parts. It begins with the pilgrimage of a Buddhist priest, Jakushō, to the sacred mountain Godai. There he finds a stone bridge, the other side of which leads to the Paradise of Monju, dwelling place of the Buddha of Wisdom. Jakushō encounters a young woodcutter who tells the priest in vivid detail the horrors that await him if he crosses the bridge too soon. The young boy (actually a manifestation of Monju) advises the priest to sit and wait for a miracle, a sign that indicates that it is safe for him to proceed across the bridge. In the second scene, a ferocious red-headed lion appears on the bridge amidst a riotous growth of red and white peony blossoms. The lion cavorts and frolics amidst the peonies. This is taken by the priest to be the sign he has been waiting for.

      This particular dance number, known as the shishi-mai (lion dance), was very popular and was broadly borrowed by Kabuki. In the Noh version of Shakkyō, the dancer wore what was called a shishiguchi (lion-mouthed) mask, which was more stylized and demonic as opposed to lion-like. In Kabuki, the shishi-mai masks took on more lion-like features with hinged jaws, a large row of teeth, and a furry mane.

      Although today the lion dance is most famous in its theatrical renditions, historically it has long been an integral element in many Japanese religious, folk, and court dances. Related dances can be found in almost every Asian country. However, the lion dance originally entered Japan from China where it had been used as a ritualized dance to drive away evil. During the Nara period (710-94) in Japan, it was used as part of gyōdō (temple processions). As performed since at least the twelfth century, two or three individuals dressed in a lion costume capped by a ferocious mask were led along by attendants and musicians, creating quite a spectacle.

      The Shakkyō nō-ningyō depicted here wears a lion mask on his head and holds in his outstretched

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