Koga Ningyo is considered one of the three finest clay dolls of Japan, alongside Fushimi Ningyo from Kyoto and Tsutsumi Ningyo from Sendai. The history of Koga dolls dates back to 1592, when a potter from Kyoto, during his stay in Nagasaki, visited the village of Koga along the old Nagasaki Kaido road (currently Nakazato-machi, Nagasaki) and taught his doll-making techniques to the Ogawa family. The techniques have been handed down for as long as four centuries ever since.
Today, the tradition is kept alive by the 19th generation, Kenichi Ogawa. He works with some 90 molds, large and small. “I make the dolls single-handedly, from start to finish.” That involves placing the clay in the molds, shaving off the excess, polishing, firing, underglazing, drawing the eyes, and finally, painting.
Ogawa uses the molds that have been handed down for generations, and follows the exact same processes as his predecessors. Just one process, however, reveals his unique touch. “The eyes—no matter how hard I try to replicate the eyes, I can’t draw them exactly the same. For the first ten years, I practiced on sheets of newspaper.”
Ogawa mastered the techniques of doll making by watching his grandfather and his father, and helping their work since he was little. He will continue passing down the wonders of his handicraft along with the warm, friendly expressions of the dolls.
＜ PAPERSKY no.58（2018）＞
