Hōko (doll)

A hōko (這子, lit. "crawling child") is a kind of soft-bodied doll given to young women of age and especially to pregnant women in Japan to protect both mother and unborn child.[1] Traditionally, hōko dolls were made of silk and human hair,[2] and stuffed with cotton.[3] The dolls could be made for both boys and girls. Boys' dolls would be given up and "consecrated" at a shrine when boys came of age at 15-years-old,[4] while girls would give up their dolls at marriage.[4] The dolls were given to children either at birth, or on special days shortly after birth.[4] Pregnant woman would be given new ones, so as to protect her and her unborn child together, for the duration of the pregnancy.

Modern day hōko dolls have been created with technology to monitor babies.[5]

History

Hōko can be traced back to "talismanic figures" from early Japanese history,[1] and are likely related to the concept of using paper dolls (hina), as "stand-ins for people."[4] The use of Katashiro (形代, lit. "substitutes") in spiritual practice as stand-ins to take on the brunt of a person's sins or misfortune also played a role in the creation of hōko dolls[6] as well as for absentee family members (i.e. mother dolls for orphaned children).

Amagatsu

Amagatsu (天児; derivation unclear), are another type of doll similar in function to the hōko doll, documented back to at least the 11th century with a mention in The Tale of Genji.[7] These were originally made of wood or bamboo, with the body and arms traditionally in a "T" shape and with a round head attached on top. Sources mentioning the specific term hōko start appearing in the Heian period, but are more apparent in the Muromachi period of Japan's history.[7] In later years, the amagatsu and hōko dolls became essentially the same thing, with the dolls more commonly made out of cloth and other soft materials.[8]

See also

References
  1. Pate, Alan S. (2005). Ningyo: The Art of the Japanese Doll. Singapore: Tuttle Publishing. ISBN 9781462907205.
  2. Seton, Alistair (2012). Collecting Japanese Antiques. Singapore: Tuttle Publishing. ISBN 9781462905881.
  3. "Glossary". Netsuke and Japanese Art Online Research Center. Retrieved 2 December 2015.
  4. Pate, Alan. "The Hina Matsuri - A Living Tradition". Antique Japanese Dolls. Retrieved 2 December 2015.
  5. "Discover Hoko". Hoko. Retrieved 2 December 2015.
  6. Momo, Miyazaki (2014). Images of Familial Intimacy in Eastern and Western Art. Leiden, The Netherlands: Koninklijke Brill NV. pp. 224–225. ISBN 9789004261945.
  7. Law, Jane Marie (1997). Puppets of Nostalgia: The Life, Death and Rebirth of the Japanese "Awaji Ningy?" Tradition. Princeton, New Jersey: Princeton University Press. p. 35. ISBN 9780691604718.
  8. 1988, 国語大辞典（新装版） (Kokugo Dai Jiten, Revised Edition) (in Japanese), Tōkyō: Shogakukan
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