Exhibition Room 1　Ningyo Production in Saitama

Edo Kimekomi Ningyo

Kimekomi ningyo are made by incising grooves into the body, which is made of toso paulownia sawdust compound or similar materials.Then fabric is tucked into the grooves to dress and decorate the ningyo.The kimekomi technique was used to make kamo ningyo in Kyoto.Transmitted to Edo, it became a standard technique in Tokyo from the Meiji period on.Craftsmen who were forced to evacuate from Tokyo during the war brought kimekomi to Iwatsuki.In 1978, under the name Edo Kimekomi Ningyo, they were designated a Traditional Craft by the Ministry of International Trade and Industry (now the Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry).