I have a pair of antique Japanese dolls that used to belong to my grandma on my mom's side. When she married my grandpa, she brought them with her as a part of her bridal trousseau. Ever since I first saw them at my grandparents' house, I fell in love with them. They were a beautiful pair of dolls. Although I sometimes thought I wanted to play with them, both my mom and my grandma never allowed me to touch them. They were displayed in a glass case as if they were very precious, so only I could do was to look at them every time I visited my grandparents' house.
When my grandma passed away, I asked my mom if I could keep them. She told me that she would first ask about that her siblings, and if none of them wanted them, I could keep them. I believed that nobody would want the dolls because their kimonos were completely worn out and they had lost their charm.
Fortunately, nobody wanted them, so I received them as my grandma's moment.
When you look at their wearing kimonos, you notice that they look newer than their faces. Their original kimonos had been badly eaten by worms, so my mom asked a professional to make new ones for them. Doll bodies were over 100 years old, but their kimonos are in their twenties.
A couple of days ago, my friend from Texas shared a video clip about Japanese dolls. In the video, a doll expert is repairing damaged dolls. Watching it was fascinating. I'd love to ask this guy to fix my dolls as well, especially there is a large stain on the forehead and a chip on the nose on my boy's doll.
If you're curious about the doll video, click here.
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They look so charming! There is something special about the way older dolls were made compared to the newer ones, even these made for kids to play with. Your dolls made me remember a doll that belonged to my mum before me passed it to me when I was a child. My classmates always said she was a Chucky doll and she would kill me at night, but I still found her cute. Especially that she had some clothes that my mum made herself!
Thank you for sharing your story. It was fascinating to read.
Dolls usually creep me out. I don't know if that's a guy thing. However, these two dolls radiate a sense of relaxation. I swear, Japanese people must have some hidden power. They make everything look so harmonious π.
@Simone- Thank you for the compliment. I guess it relates to the old saying, "The grass is always greener on the other side (of the fence)". Antique bisque dolls usually creep me out, and even though I'm a huge fan of antiques, I don't collect them. Although Renby has mentioned Chucky, they associate me of it.