History of Hakata Japanese Dolls

Hakata dolls originate from Fukuoka Prefecture, which lies toward the northern end of the island of Kyushu. Legand has it that Hakata dolls date from 1608, when Fukuoka Castle was built under the patronage of Lord Kuroda Nagamasa. Soshichi Masaki, one of the artisans engaged in making ridge-end rooftiles for the castle, made pottery dolls as a hobby, and presented a prototype Hakata doll to the lord of the castle. Gradually the popularirty of these delicate dolls beagan to spread across Japan.

Their popularity was furthered at the beginning of the 19th century when Kichibe Nakanoko, a direct descendent of Soshichi Masaki, began to craft unglazed pottery folk dolls that became the model for today's Hakata dolls. Originally the dolls were known as "Hakata Suyaki Ningyo" (Hakata bisque-ware dolls), but the "suyaki" part of the name was removed when two works were awarded prizes at a prestigious exhibition in Tokyo in 1890 and from that time the dolls came to be known simply as Hakata Ningyo.

Toward the end of the 19th century the craft blossomed from making folk toys to making decorative dolls intended to please the eye. Their delights first gained international recognition at the 1900 Paris Exposition. In 1924 further international acclaim came when three dancing-girl Hakata dolls won the silver prize in the Paris World's Fair. Since that time the appeal of these graceful and delicate dolls ahs spread across the globe and the art of Hakata dolls was recognised as a traditional national art by the Japanese Government in 1976.

The dolls are made from clay found near Fukuoka City. Clay is carved and sculptured to make an original doll. The original doll is molded in plaster and clay is put into the plaster cast to make the same ones as the original doll. The dolls are removed, dried, fired unglazed and then painted for final finishing. One striking characteristic of the dolls is the uniquely smooth transparent feeling of the white skin. Since a single artisan carries out the whole process from carving and sculpturing to final finishing, each doll reflects the individual creativity of its maker, thus producing such a high level of artistry and a diverse range of works.

In a way that mass production could never match, each carefully hand-crafted doll is endowed with its own life. Also, this process allows friendly, personal service whereby a customer can request a doll with a kimono pattern that represents their own wearing, for example. This is one of the reasons for the enduring popularity of Hakata dolls.