Chinese General Chōhi (Zhang Fei)
CultureJapanese
Datemid-19th century
MediumSilk brocade, silk fabric, gofun (powdered shell), pigments, paper, glass inlay, gold leaf, metal, feather, leather, lacquer, straw, paper, gilt copper alloy, silk crepe, hair, silk lacings, textile batting, metallic threads, plant fiber, bamboo, and wood
DimensionsOverall: 47 1/4 × 28 1/2 × 18 inches (120.02 × 72.39 × 45.72 cm)
Credit LineGift of Alan and Nadine Levin
Object number2022.39.5.1-4
On View
Not on viewCollections
DescriptionThe doll portrays Chinese general Zhang Fei (Chinese, died 221 C.E.) riding on a gray horse with an orange mane and tail. His face is squarish and gray, and he makes fierce facial expressions emphasized by makeup. His disheveled hair is tied with a hair band. He is dressed in layers of clothing and a suit of armor. The clothes are made of silk fabric, including silk brocaded with gold thread, silk textiles resembling ko’ssu, and plain-weave silk. His paper-made armor is decorated with silk crepe and metal ornaments, and silk laces join the plates. He has a green helmet, holds a sword with a long handle, and wears a quiver with arrows on his back. The horse’s mane and tail are made of dyed straw.Published ReferencesAlan Pate, Japanese Dolls: The Fascinating World of Ningyo (Clarendon, VT: Tuttle Publishing, 2012): 45 (repro).
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