Koga dolls (Koga Ningyo) are unglazed clay dolls made in Nakazato-machi, Nagasaki City (formerly Koga Village). Together with Kyoto's Fushimi dolls and Sendai's Tsutsumi dolls, they are counted among Japan's three major clay dolls. They are said to have begun in 1592 (Bunroku 1). According to tradition, Hitachinosuke, an earthenware maker who came from Kyoto, passed on the secrets of earthenware making to Ogawa Kosaburo, the third head of the Ogawa family. Since then, the Ogawa family has carried on the craft generation after generation, and this one household is said to be the only one still making the dolls today. They are characterized by simple forms and a bold use of primary colors such as red and yellow. Many subjects reflect Nagasaki's exchanges with foreign countries, such as 'Acha-san,' a Chinese man holding a shamo gamecock; the 'Western Lady,' modeled on the wife of the head of the Dutch trading post on Dejima; and 'Oranda-san' (the Dutchman), holding a gun. In 1993 they were designated a Nagasaki Prefecture Traditional Craft.
Origin
According to Nagasaki City, in 1592 Hitachinosuke, an earthenware maker who had served court nobles in Kyoto, visited Nagasaki during his travels and stayed for over a year with the Ogawa family along the old Nagasaki Kaido highway. During that time, he is said to have passed on the secrets of earthenware making to the third head of the family, Ogawa Kosaburo. Kosaburo made earthenware for shrines, temples and ceremonies alongside his farming, and tradition holds that the craft began when he started making small dolls in his later years. There is also a theory that it originated in the Genroku era.
History
In front of the Ogawa house there is a wisteria trellis, and according to tradition there was once a teahouse there where daimyo lords rested. 'Koga no Fujidana' (the Koga wisteria trellis) is still a popular name for the Ogawa family today. Around the Meiji era, three related households made dolls, but now there is only one. The doll molds, said to have once numbered more than a hundred types, are described as having been reduced by about half through damage and weathering. In 1993 the dolls were designated a Nagasaki Prefecture Traditional Craft.
Features
They are characterized by simple unglazed forms painted with bold primary colors such as red and yellow. In the past, plant-based dyes such as gardenia and sappanwood are said to have been used. The subjects have an exotic flavor unique to Nagasaki, and Acha-san, the Western Lady and Oranda-san are well known. Besides the Hoho bird, said to be a charm against smallpox, animal dolls such as the umanori-zaru (a monkey riding a horse), the black cat and the Chin (a Japanese lapdog) are full of expression.
Techniques
Molding and hand-painting
The dolls are shaped using the same molds that have been used since long ago, and each one is colored by hand. The smaller and simpler a doll is, the more it is painted with single brushstrokes, so great care is described as being taken to avoid uneven color. Coloring a single rooster doll reportedly takes about 10 minutes, letting the paint dry along the way.
Materials Used
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Artisans & Workshops
小川家（古賀人形製作元）
A family that has made Koga dolls for generations in Nakazato-machi, Nagasaki City, along the old Nagasaki Kaido highway. A 2004 Nagasaki City article described the handover from the 18th generation, 小川亨, to the 19th generation, 小川憲一, as being under way. Because everything is handmade, it was noted that large dolls could take one to two years to be delivered after ordering.
Official site →How to Buy
- The maker's workshop
- A 2004 Nagasaki City article said that if you stop by the workshop, you may be able to buy small dolls being made there, at lower prices than at retailers. Visits required advance contact, and the workshop was said to be closed on weekends and public holidays. Please check the current situation in advance.Where to buy →PR
FAQ
Q. Who was the model for the 'Western Lady'?
A. The model is said to be the wife of Blomhoff, head of the Dutch trading post on Dejima. She came to Japan with her family and attracted attention, but foreign women were not permitted to stay in Japan at the time, and according to tradition she was forced to return home.
Q. What kind of doll is 'Acha-san'?
A. It is a doll of a Chinese man holding a shamo gamecock. 'Acha-san' is a word in the Nagasaki dialect referring to Chinese people. It is described as depicting a Chinese resident of the Tojin Yashiki (Chinese quarter) easing his loneliness by playing with a gamecock while waiting for the ships that came twice a year.
Q. What do 'Oranda-san' and the 'umanori-zaru' mean?
A. Oranda-san is said to be a doll modeled on the head of the Dutch trading post setting out to hunt with a gun. The umanori-zaru is a doll that was regarded as a charm for bakuro, the horse dealers who brokered the buying and selling of horses. Both are subjects that reflect life and history in Nagasaki.