A RARE LACQUER NETSUKE OF A GOSHO NINGYO DOLL PERFORMERUnsignedJapan, late 19th centuryThe gosho ningyo performer lacquered in gold, silver, and red, the face typically enlarged and chubby with red lips, placing one hand on its head and the other holding a bell tree. The doll’s robe is embellished with various ornate patterns such as geometric designs, leaves and plovers. Large, asymmetrical himotoshi to the back.HEIGHT 4.5 cmCondition: Chip to one foot, one loss to the knee and a repair to the bell tree. Otherwise fine condition with minor wear to lacquer.Gosho ningyo are characterized by their chubby figures, fair skin, small hands and legs, their large heads, and simple eyes and noses. Their history goes back some 400 years, when they were treasured in the Imperial court. Over time they became expressions of hope for happiness and prosperity in life.Literature comparison:A closely related lacquer netsuke depicting a Gosho ningyo is illustrated in Bushell, Raymond Netsuke (1975) Familiar & Unfamiliar, p. 109, no. 111.Auction comparison:Compare to a lacquer netsuke of a boy from the same workshop, at Lempertz, Asian Art, 27 June 2020, Cologne, lot 317 (sold for 4,000 EUR). Another lacquer netsuke from the same workshop was sold at Bonhams, Netsuke from the Collection of Joseph and Elena Kurstin, 16 December 2022, New York, lot 17 (sold for 10,200 USD).