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She's not your average Geisha

Dolls depicting geisha, professional female entertainers trained in traditional Japanese art, music and dance, have been produced in Japan at least since the 18th century.

The Piece

A silk-skinned geisha doll, about 22 inches high, from the mid-20th century

The Owner
Marion Bristol of Mandeville says that her mother was given the doll in 1965 by a Japanese woman who was renting one of her apartments. "She came in a glass case, which later fell apart," Bristol said. "She is all silk, including her face . . . and is lovely and delicate to behold."

What a Doll

In Japan, the word "ningyo" is used to describe a variety of types of figurines, from the traditional hina ningyo (girl\'s day dolls) and elegant isho ningyo (fashion or costume dolls), to the chubby gosho ningyo (palace dolls) and fierce-faced musha ningyo (warrior dolls). Traditional ningyo are much more to the Japanese than mere toys, however; many are iconic cultural symbols that are afforded respect and even veneration.