Exhibition Room 2　Japan's Ningyo from the Collection

Exhibition Room 2　Japan's Ningyo from the Collection

The museum owns many ningyo and related materials. One of its pillars is the ningyo collection assembled by the Nihonga (modern Japanese-style painting) artist Nishizawa Tekiho (1889-1965). Tekiho was passionately devoted to collecting and studying ningyo and toys (gangu) and did much to enhance the appreciation of the artistic value of ningyo, as well as helping ningyo artists develop. His collection, which is known for its wide range and high quality, includes classic ningyo, folk toys, ningyo from other countries, and materials concerning ningyo shibai, a form of puppet opera. Japan's ningyo culture matured in the Edo period, when many types of ningyo emerged. In the 1930s, ningyo were recognized as an art, and a distinctively Japanese and highly diverse culture of ningyo developed. In this gallery, we present primarily classic ningyo from our collection.