Traditional Japanese doll, Ichimatsu Ningyo

Representing Sanogawa Ichimatsu, a popular kabuki actor of the Edo period, the Ichimatsu Dolls (Ichimatsu Ningyō) are today among the most popular traditional Japanese dolls.

They were first created around 1750, when similar dolls already existed, but because the version resembling the kabuki actor was so successful, this type of doll became known as Ichimatsu Ningyō. Being used as toys but also as decorative objects, the typical Ichimatsu dolls are made to be dressed in different costumes and the most expensive ones are fitted with joints for head, torso and legs.