Chinese General Kan'u (Guan Yu)
CultureJapanese
Datemid-19th century
MediumGofun (powdered shell), silk brocade textiles, color, glass, silk crepe, paper, metal, lacquer, plant fiber, paper, bamboo, feather, wood, straw, dyes, fabric batting, paint, gilt copper alloy, steel, hair, fabric lacings, and paper board
DimensionsOverall: 43 3/4 × 24 1/2 × 28 inches (111.13 × 62.23 × 71.12 cm)
Credit LineGift of Alan and Nadine Levin
Object number2022.39.4.1-4
On View
Not on viewCollections
DescriptionThis doll portrays the Chinese general Guan Yu (Chinese, died 220 C.E.; known as Kan’u in Japanese). His face is squarish and white. He wears a helmet, holds a sword, and has a quiver with five arrows. He rides on a white horse with a black mane and tail made of coarse plant fiber. The horse is made of paper mache and coated with white pigment. Guan Yu is dressed in layers of clothes made of silk brocaded with paper-backed gold threads and silk threads. His paper-made armor is covered with beige silk crepes, and dark purple lacings join each plate. The ends of the armor are decorated with gold ornaments.Published ReferencesAlan Pate, Japanese Dolls: The Fascinating World of Ningyo (Clarendon, VT: Tuttle Publishing, 2012): 45 (repro).
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