Dolls of the peoples of different countries, presentation for a lesson on the world around us (preparatory group) on the topic. Dolls of peoples from different countries, presentation for a lesson on the world around us (preparatory group) on the topic Toys from different countries, presentation for preschoolers

The world of toys of peoples of different countries is very diverse. Essentially, people create dolls to express their worldview in them. Initially, they were created only from natural materials - wood, clay, straw, but only in the 18-19th centuries they began to be made from wax, porcelain, and in the 20th century, plastic.

If we turn to the traditions of Japan, we will find out that the first doll was Kokeshi - a wooden toy without legs and arms, somewhat reminiscent of a Russian nesting doll. Kokeshi were made from cherry, maple, dogwood, and hand-painted with plant and floral motifs. It is believed that the dolls were first used by shamans to perform rituals; they were also used as funeral dolls.

Gradually, dolls became ordinary toys - they were given to children to entertain them, and adults began to make much more labor-intensive toys - from wood, rags, Japanese paper; in the 20th century large interior dolls appeared, which were often depictions of geishas. Moreover, the kimono for such dolls was embroidered by hand, it was decorated with precious stones and gold thread, which is why such beauty stood on the upper shelves, where children could not reach.

For a long time, dolls among the Eskimos and Nenets symbolized connections with otherworldly forces; they were attributed their own energy, so for a long time folk craftsmen made them without drawing the nose, eyes, ears, and mouth.

It was believed that by acquiring human features, the doll could come to life and frighten the baby. There were a lot of dolls in the families of the northern peoples; girls got married early, so their dowry necessarily included their favorite toys. Gradually, the dolls acquired human features, they were dressed in national costumes in order to preserve the culture.

The Slavs made dolls from scrap materials - ash, straw, clay, scraps of rags. It was believed that a toy made from flax would ward off all illnesses from the baby, so they were also considered amulets. They also made the so-called ten-handles - symbols of prosperity and happiness, krupenichek - a symbol of prosperity. The krupenichka was filled with grain, and then it was sown first - it was believed that then the harvest would be good and the family would live in abundance. Each cereal had its own meaning: rice was considered a festive grain, buckwheat - a symbol of wealth, pearl barley - satiety, oats - strength.

Other common dolls - haircuts, were created in haste from a bunch of cut grass, so that the child would not be bored when the mother was working in the field. Patchwork dolls were also used for play; older girls independently sewed outfits for them, painted them, and braided their hair.

Many museums display ethnic exhibitions of dolls from different nations of the world. They can be unmistakably recognized by their characteristic facial features and outfits.

In African countries, dolls were made by hand and passed on from generation to generation. They were woven from grass and carved from wood. Ethnic dolls were used in religious rites, dressed in colorful fabrics, and decorated with bracelets and beads. A variety of materials were used - fabrics, wool, beads, palm leaves, grass, corn cobs, clay. As a rule, the dolls depicted not children, but adult married women dressed in traditional clothes. There were also dolls made by shamans specifically for the ritual - here they did not particularly find fault with their quality and appearance.

Dolls are also found on the American continent; they can also tell a lot about how the indigenous peoples lived. The Indians held this craft in high esteem, each tribe had special dolls, the techniques and materials also differed significantly, because people lived in different natural environments. To make dolls, they used fibers from marsh plants, fur, leather, corn cobs, feathers, wood, and linen. It was possible to determine from the doll which tribe it was made: for example, the Navajo Indians were considered excellent hunters, so the dolls were decorated with leather and fur, the Holi Indian dolls were made of wood, the Inuit - from corn cobs.

If you look closely, you will see traditional national features in each doll. Recently, more and more manufacturers have been producing ethnic collections of toys dressed in the costumes of different peoples of the world. The most popular is Barbie. Here is a Mexican Barbie, here is a Kenyan Barbie, and here is a Polynesian Barbie.

Older toys are mostly kept in museums or private collections. These are truly objects of art, you want to admire them, because they carry the imprint of ancient culture.

If you liked our article, tell your friends about it on social networks by clicking on the button below.

The world of toys of peoples of different countries is very diverse. Essentially, people create dolls to express their worldview in them. Initially, they were created only from natural materials - wood, clay, straw, but only in the 18-19th centuries they began to be made from wax, porcelain, and in the 20th century, plastic.

Download:

Preview:

To use presentation previews, create a Google account and log in to it: https://accounts.google.com

Slide captions:

The world of toys of peoples of different countries is very diverse. Essentially, people create dolls to express their worldview in them. Initially, they were created only from natural materials - wood, clay, straw, but only in the 18-19th centuries they began to be made from wax, porcelain, and in the 20th century, plastic.

If we turn to the traditions of Japan, we will find out that the first doll was Kokeshi - a wooden toy without legs and arms, somewhat reminiscent of a Russian nesting doll. Kokeshi were made from cherry, maple, dogwood, and hand-painted with plant and floral motifs. It is believed that the dolls were first used by shamans to perform rituals; they were also used as funeral dolls.

Gradually, dolls became ordinary toys - they were given to children to entertain them, and adults began to make much more labor-intensive toys - from wood, scraps, Japanese paper, in the 20th century large interior dolls appeared, which were often depictions of geishas

Moreover, the kimono for such dolls was embroidered by hand, it was decorated with precious stones and gold thread, which is why such beauty stood on the upper shelves, where children could not reach.

For a long time, dolls among the Eskimos and Nenets symbolized connections with otherworldly forces; they were attributed their own energy, so for a long time folk craftsmen made them without drawing the nose, eyes, ears, and mouth. It was believed that by acquiring human features, the doll could come to life and frighten the baby. There were a lot of dolls in the families of the northern peoples; girls got married early, so their dowry necessarily included their favorite toys. Gradually, the dolls acquired human features, they were dressed in national costumes in order to preserve the culture.

The Slavs made dolls from scrap materials - ash, straw, clay, scraps of rags. It was believed that a toy made from flax would ward off all illnesses from the baby, so they were also considered amulets.

They also made the so-called ten-handles - symbols of prosperity and happiness

Krupenichka is a symbol of prosperity. The krupenichka was filled with grain, and then it was sown first - it was believed that then the harvest would be good and the family would live in abundance. Each grain had its own meaning: rice was considered a festive grain, buckwheat was a symbol of wealth, pearl barley was considered a symbol of satiety, and oats were a symbol of strength.

Other common dolls, haircuts, were created hastily from a bunch of cut grass, so that the child would not be bored when the mother was working in the field. Patchwork dolls were also used for play; older girls independently sewed outfits for them, painted them, and braided their hair.

Matryoshka is considered the Russian national painted doll of our country. Not everyone knows that it originates in China, but they began to be made in Russia after the end of the 19th century. A. Mamontova brought to Moscow a figurine of a Japanese old man, which opened up. In the middle of the first there was the same figurine, only smaller in size, and behind it there was another and another.

The figures opened until the tiniest one was revealed at the bottom of the last one. Russian craftsmen created and painted a toy consisting of eight figures. They all depicted a woman, and on the smallest one they painted a baby. They named the toy Matryoshka in honor of the most popular name in Moscow at that time - Matryona.

The “Bogorodskaya toy” owes its birth to the village of Bogorodskoye

Philemon toys

Dymkovo toys

Many museums display ethnic exhibitions of dolls from different nations of the world. They can be unmistakably recognized by their characteristic facial features and outfits.

In African countries, dolls were made by hand and passed on from generation to generation. They were woven from grass and carved from wood. Ethnic dolls were used in religious rites, dressed in colorful fabrics, and decorated with bracelets and beads. A variety of materials were used - fabrics, wool, beads, palm leaves, grass, corn cobs, clay. As a rule, the dolls depicted not children, but adult married women dressed in traditional clothes. There were also dolls made by shamans specifically for the ritual - here they did not particularly find fault with their quality and appearance.

Dolls are also found on the American continent; they can also tell a lot about how the indigenous peoples lived. The Indians held this craft in high esteem, each tribe had special dolls, the techniques and materials also differed significantly, because people lived in different natural environments. To make dolls, they used fibers from marsh plants, fur, leather, corn cobs, feathers, wood, and linen.

It was possible to determine from the doll which tribe it was made: for example, the Navajo Indians were considered excellent hunters, so the dolls were decorated with leather and fur, the Holi Indian dolls were made of wood, and the Inuits were made of corn cobs.

If you look closely, you will see traditional national features in each doll. Recently, more and more manufacturers have been producing ethnic collections of toys dressed in the costumes of different peoples of the world. The most popular is Barbie. Here's Mexican Barbie

Here is a Kenyan Here is a Polynesian Barbie.

Older toys are mostly kept in museums or private collections. These are truly objects of art, you want to admire them, because they carry the imprint of ancient culture.

A tilde is an object made of fabric in the form of a doll, animal or some other object. This type of toys has several features: they have soft and smooth silhouettes, the faces and faces of tildes are very conventional, and they are all similar to each other with a recognizable color scheme with rich and calm shades.

Material prepared by Tatyana Timofeeva

A little history:
Decorating a Christmas tree was invented back in medieval Europe. Initially, you could see mostly apples and waffles on it. The first decoration symbolized the forbidden fruit picked by Eve. The second is the bread that is given during communion. Candles were hung on the branches as a symbol of angelic purity. Over time, people began to take a more varied approach to decorating a New Year or Christmas tree. It is believed that the first Christmas tree balls were invented in Europe, or more precisely in Germany, in the first half of the 17th century.

By the way, one of the legends says that the reason for the appearance of glass toys was the failure of the apple harvest in Germany in 1848. Then, instead of ordinary fruits, glass “apples” were made. Surprisingly, they sold out very quickly. This marked the beginning of the production of decorations for the holiday.

In Russia, the fashion for decorating the spruce was introduced by Peter the Great. However, it did not catch on immediately, becoming popular only under Nicholas the First, whose wife was from Prussia, where Christmas trees were so loved. By the way, it is with her that the Christmas tree becomes not just fashionable, but obligatory.

Glass Christmas tree decorations also come to Russia from Europe. Interestingly, until 1900, Christmas trees were decorated in such a way that there was literally no free space left on them, and only at the beginning of the 20th century did the fashion for minimalism appear.

There were times in the Russian Empire when the Christmas tree was prohibited - for example, in 1916 the Holy Synod described it as a “German custom” and banned it. No wonder, the First World War was going on, in which the Germans were the enemies of Russia. After the revolution in 1918, the Soviet government also banned the Christmas tree. However, this did not last long - already in the 1930s the tree returned to its rightful holiday place.

On December 28, 1935, the newspaper Pravda was published, which proclaimed: “Let's organize a good Christmas tree for the children for the New Year!” Since then, in the Soviet Union, trees have been decorated, but not for Christmas, but for the New Year.

Christmas tree decorations have gradually changed. So the star of Bethlehem at the top of the tree is replaced by a red five-pointed star, and the angels are replaced by figures of Red Army soldiers and pioneers.

During the Great Patriotic War, the Christmas tree was decorated with toys made from scrap materials. The chemical flask played the role of a star for the Christmas tree, and the most popular toys of the war years were paratroopers. Pieces of fabric were tied to all Christmas tree decorations, regardless of the character, and the result was a parachutist.


Soviet toys on clothespins




In Sweden, the most popular and traditional Christmas tree decorations are those made from straw.
Beautiful and safe, which is so important for a home with a baby. Of course, the straw ball will not break or hurt, but a resourceful kid can try to eat it.

The Christmas goat deserves special mention here. This is a character who fulfills his New Year's role in as many as three countries - Sweden, Norway and Finland.


Once upon a time in Sweden there was a Christmas tradition - young people walked from farm to farm, playing and singing Christmas songs. Some of them were always dressed like goats, sometimes even with a mask made of straw. As a reward they received food and drink. Later, the tradition changed - now a man dressed up as a goat gave gifts, and now he has completely turned into Santa Claus.











In Germany, they love New Year's toys in the form of nutcrackers. This is how many fairy tale characters are portrayed.





People here are also partial to the gingerbread men on the Christmas tree.


But in Ireland they even try to keep Christmas tree decorations in their own recognizable color style.






In the USA, you will most often see the top of a spruce or pine tree decorated with a figurine of angels.

A private home decorated for Christmas in California.


Mistletoe decorations are very popular in England. Wreaths made from it were used in rituals by the ancient Celts. By the way, now this is considered the best place for kissing.


"Under a Wreath of Mistletoe", English engraving, 1873.


In Spain, there are a lot of sweets on Christmas trees, and perhaps the most original New Year's tradition.
This is thanks to Caga tio, which translated means... "pooping log".
The tradition is this: on December 8, this really good children's fun appears in all homes in Catalonia. And at Christmas the log should “make a pile” of gifts. But for this you need to take care of him: feed him, cover him with a blanket, even tell him fairy tales.


In some countries, decorating a New Year's tree is not such a popular tradition. In Italy or Mexico, beautifully decorated nativity scenes are much more common.

New Year trees in Japan bear the imprint of national culture. In addition to the usual decorations, small dolls, paper fans, lanterns, bells and, of course, origami are popular here; “cranes” folded from paper are especially popular.




Temari are especially valuable jewelry. These hand embroidered balls are incredibly beautiful.






In China, all kinds of paper products are used as Christmas tree decorations - lanterns, garlands, flowers.

The book exhibition “Every hut has its own toys,” prepared by the art literature department, introduces the reader to the oldest type of folk art - the toy.

The history of folk toys begins in ancient times. It is connected with the creativity of the people, with folk art, with folklore. Over the course of many centuries, the toy has been modified, combining the color and versatility of the culture of the people.

The world of toys of peoples of different countries is very diverse. In essence, people create a toy, expressing their worldview in it. Initially, they were created only from natural materials - wood, clay, straw, only in the 18th-19th centuries. they began to be made from wax, porcelain, and in the 20th century - from plastic.

Let's look at examples of folk toys from several countries.

If we turn to tradition Japan, we learn that the first doll was Kokeshi - a wooden toy without legs and arms, somewhat reminiscent of a Russian nesting doll. Kokeshi were made from cherry, maple, dogwood, and hand-painted with plant and floral motifs. It is believed that the dolls were first used by shamans to perform rituals and also as funeral dolls. Gradually, dolls became ordinary toys - they were given to children to entertain them, and adults began to make much more labor-intensive ones - from wood, scraps, Japanese paper, in the 20th century. Large interior dolls appeared, which were often depictions of geishas. Moreover, the kimono for such dolls was embroidered by hand, it was decorated with precious stones and gold thread, which is why such beauty stood on the upper shelves, where children could not reach.

doll Eskimos and Nenets For a long time it symbolized the connection with otherworldly forces, and its own energy was attributed to it. For a long time, folk craftsmen made dolls without drawing the nose, eyes, ears, or mouth. It was believed that by acquiring human features, the doll could come to life and frighten the baby. There were a lot of dolls in the families of the northern peoples, because girls got married early, and their dowry necessarily included their favorite toys. It was considered a good sign when the bride brought many dolls to her husband’s house (up to a hundred of them happened) - this meant that there would be many children in the family. Gradually, the dolls acquired human features, they were dressed in national costumes in order to preserve the culture.

In countries Africa dolls were made by hand and passed down from generation to generation. Ethnic dolls were used in religious rites, dressed in colorful fabrics, and decorated with bracelets and beads. A variety of materials were used in the manufacture of dolls - fabrics, wool, beads, palm leaves, grass, corn cobs, clay. As a rule, the dolls depicted not children, but adult married women dressed in traditional clothes. Some dolls were made by shamans specifically for the ritual.

Toys American mainland can also tell a lot about how indigenous peoples lived. The Indians held this craft in high esteem; each tribe had special dolls, the techniques and materials also differed significantly, since people lived in different natural environments. To make dolls, they used fibers from marsh plants, fur, leather, corn cobs, feathers, wood, and linen. It was possible to determine from the doll which tribe it was made: for example, the Navajo Indians were considered excellent hunters, so the dolls were decorated with leather and fur, the Holi Indian dolls were made of wood, the Inuit - from corn cobs.

Slavs They made a toy from scrap materials - ash, straw, clay, scraps of rags. It was believed that a toy made from flax would ward off all illnesses from the baby, so they were also considered amulets. They also made the so-called ten-handles - symbols of prosperity and happiness, krupenichek - a symbol of prosperity. The krupenichka was filled with grain, and then it was sown first - it was believed that then the harvest would be good and the family would live in abundance. Each cereal had its own meaning: rice was considered a festive grain, buckwheat - a symbol of wealth, pearl barley - satiety, oats - strength.

Other common dolls are shearing dolls, which were created hastily from a bunch of clipped grass so that the child would not be bored when the mother was working in the field. Patchwork dolls were also used for play; older girls independently sewed outfits for them, painted them, and braided their hair.

The amazing and diverse world of folk toys is one of those threads that from childhood connect a person with the heritage of world culture. The folk doll is a wonderful means of aesthetic education of children. So let this ancient art, which warms human souls, live and delight us.

We invite everyone to visit the book exhibition, where colorful encyclopedias, sets of postcards, reproductions, as well as articles from the Puppet Master magazines, etc. are presented.

The exhibition will last until the end of June in reading room No. 6 (2nd floor).

From the materials presented at the exhibition:

Block width px

Copy this code and paste it onto your website

Slide captions:

Toys of the peoples of the world

• As soon as the first master on earth created his first doll, our lives for many millennia are inextricably linked with these mysterious and enigmatic creatures: dolls met a person at birth and accompanied him to the afterlife, dolls lived in palaces and temples, in the halls of noble nobles and in the shacks of poor peasants. Many songs and poems are dedicated to dolls; the most daring outfits were sewn for them and the most intimate secrets were entrusted to them. The doll is created in the image and likeness of a person.
• Even in ancient Rome, dolls were used in the same way as fashion magazines are used now - they were sent from the capital to the provinces so that ancient fashionistas were aware of the latest trends.

• Now you and I will not be able to answer the question of when, in what century the first doll was created. It is only known that the oldest mammoth bone figure with movable limbs, found in Czechoslovakia, is 30-35 thousand years old. In Egypt, Greece, Italy and other countries, dolls with joints in the joints and real hair were found in excavations of ancient settlements.
• According to researchers, the very first dolls were directly related to the cult of death. The doll represented a deceased body that was buried after the funeral of the real deceased; it was believed that this would not give him the opportunity to return from the afterlife and harm the living. Later, in many tribes, after the death of a relative, a custom arose of making a wooden doll, which subsequently became a refuge for the soul of the deceased; the doll was presented with gifts, protected and worshiped, cared for as if it were a living person. In some African tribes this tradition has survived to this day. It is in Africa that echoes of the ancient Egyptian funeral cult have survived to this day. Africans firmly believe that dolls made in a special way help the soul in the afterlife.

• There are several legends about the appearance of the Bogorodsk toy. One says that in a village located near Sergiev Posad, a peasant woman made a doll from wood chips for her children. When the children got bored with the doll, the father took it to the fair, where the merchant liked it. The merchant asked the peasant to make more of these toys. So the residents of the village of Bogorodskoye began making wooden toys. According to another legend, Sergei of Radonezh was the first to make wooden toys in order to give them to children. One way or another, the development of folk crafts in the village of Bogorodskoye was greatly influenced by the Trinity-Sergius Monastery with its developed carving business and established sales of wooden toys.

• In addition to brightly painted static figures of people and animals, the Bogorodians learned to make dynamic figures. These were prancing hussars, dapper officers, chickens pecking grains. The Bogorodians loved to make various horsemen - Cossacks, generals, hunters. Interesting are the figures of ordinary soldiers beating cymbals or merrily beating drums.
• Ordinary people were usually depicted at work - a spinner was spinning yarn, a shoemaker was making shoes, an old man was weaving bast shoes.

• The favorite animal of the Bogorodians was the bear, which took an active part in various works - it could play musical instruments, bend arcs, and forge metal. The “Blacksmiths” toy, in which a bear and a man are knocking with hammers, has become a symbol of the Bogorodsk toy.
• Some toys also had practical value - they could be used to crack nuts. Usually it was a figurine of a gentleman or a soldier; it was such a nutcracker that became the prototype of the hero of Hoffmann’s famous fairy tale. Simple devices that made toys move delighted not only children, but also their parents. In addition to springs, toys were made on movable slats held together with nails. As soon as you pull the ends of the bars, you will see how the figures come to life - a fisherman catches fish, bunnies gnaw carrots. This is how the famous “Blacksmiths” are made.

• Dolls have long been associated with otherworldly forces; they possessed a certain energy. Among the Nenets peoples, it is not customary to draw eyes, noses, and ears on dolls, since the doll is not alive and cannot be seen, otherwise it could take away the child’s soul. It was believed that, having acquired human features, the doll could come to life and scare the baby.
• The Nenets peoples considered the bird to be their mother-ancestor, so they took the bird’s beak to make dolls. It was believed that this is how they protect their children from evil and various misfortunes.
• The Komi-Permyaks made dolls from grass, straw, and various wood chips. Interesting are the dolls made from scraps, without the use of needles and threads. Such toys were also considered a talisman. Poles that were wrapped in a piece of fabric or canvas were also used.

• The northern peoples held dolls in high esteem; they showed remarkable creativity in their manufacture. Nenets girls were married off early. It was considered a good sign when the bride brought many dolls to her husband’s house (up to a hundred of them happened) - this meant that there would be many children in the family.
• In the fall, dolls were made from bags filled with grain. In winter, children played with such dolls, and in spring, the grain went to sowing. There was a belief that grain filled with positive children's energy would give good shoots and a large harvest.
• Sick children were given dolls made of combed flax to play with. According to legends, the disease went into the flax, after which the doll had to be burned.
• Any toy made with your own hands is endowed with the energy of the person making it. A loving mother, when making a doll, puts a piece of her soul into it. Perhaps this is why Nenets dolls were not only considered, but were actually a talisman for children.

• Kites are an ancient invention. Chinese manuscripts tell of kites made in various forms, painted with bright colors even before the new era. Kites were not only in China, but also in many other eastern countries (Japan, Korea and others). Regardless of these countries, kites appeared in Greece in the 4th century BC. And in 906, Prince Oleg used kites during the capture of Constantinople.

• To this day, the tradition of flying kites on September 9, Kite Day, has been preserved in China. The most popular form is the dragon, personifying supernatural powers. Various “snake” competitions are held.

• It’s hard to imagine now what the steadfast tin soldier, the hero of Andersen’s fairy tale, really looked like, and what the story of his appearance is. But, clearly, this story goes back to ancient times. Figures of warriors were found in the tombs of Chinese emperors and Egyptian pharaohs. On the chessboard and the commander's table one could also see a warrior figurine.
• In the Middle Ages, when training young men in military affairs, figures of knights with accurate reproductions of weapons were used. From the 14th century, such figurines began to be collected. Most European monarchs were fond of this.

• In the 17th century, two types of figurines began to be produced, as a toy and as a visual aid used in training princes. Famous royal collections were most often made of silver. Thus, Marie de Medici gave her son, who soon became Louis XIII, 300 silver soldiers. Napoleon gave his son 120 figurines of Corsican volunteers, who became famous in 1800 in one of the battles.
• For mass production, figurines began to be made from tin. One of the founders of tin military miniatures is considered to be Ernst Gottfried Hilpert, who in the 70s of the 18th century established mass production of tin figurines. The figures had realistic poses, the details were carefully worked out. So ordinary people got a new hobby.
• And the French master Lucote in the second half of the 18th century made three-dimensional soldiers from tin from several parts, thanks to which it was possible to change the poses of the figures. In Paris, at the very beginning of the 19th century, the CBJ company was created, which exists to this day and produces three-dimensional soldiers.
• The Napoleonic Wars led to a boom in the production of tin soldiers. The figures acquired artistic and historical accuracy. Kings, famous generals, and original uniforms of various armies were copied.

• Ernst Heinrichsen in 1839 took the initiative to give the figures uniform sizes - a foot soldier was 32 mm, and a horse soldier was 44 mm, without headdress. This is exactly what Andersen's famous tin soldier was.
• In the middle of the last century, a new international standard was approved - to make figures on a scale of 1:32 or 50-60 mm. This size allows you to more accurately reproduce small details of uniforms and weapons, and preserve the portrait features of famous historical figures.

• The first porcelain dolls appeared in the 19th century. Moreover, we use fired unglazed porcelain, since it most closely resembles human skin. Porcelain dolls were produced in Germany, Denmark and France.
• In 1880, a porcelain baby doll, Bebe Jumeau, appeared and drove all the kids crazy. She looked very much like a lovely little girl with huge eyes and plump legs. This was the first baby doll that could be looked after. Before this, all dolls depicted only adults. Even special magazines were published where patterns of dresses for Bebe, boots, hats and handbags and other accessories were printed. And later these dolls even spoke (they had a special sound mechanism built into them).

• German porcelain dolls provided serious competition to French ones. The price of German dolls was much lower. In addition, the Germans found new faces and characters for their charges. And in the 1900s, the German company Kamer and Reinhard began producing so-called realistic dolls.
• Later, cheaper and more accessible rag and plastic dolls appeared. But they failed to surpass their porcelain rivals in popularity, beauty, or realism. It is porcelain dolls that excite the imagination of all girls: they have big eyes, long fluffy eyelashes, fairy-tale princess dresses...

• In Japan there is a special attitude towards dolls. If throughout the world they are considered children's play, then in Japan dolls were never toys as such, but had a special religious and mystical meaning. It is no coincidence that one of the names of Japan is “the land of ten thousand dolls.” For the inhabitants of this island state, dolls have always been talismans that bring good luck, beauty and health. Therefore, a doll is still considered one of the best gifts.
• Japanese dolls are made from various materials - wood, paper, fabrics, clay, even fresh flowers. Each type of doll is intended for a specific occasion and has its own name. We will tell you about the most popular and common types of dolls.

• Hina-ningyo are dolls that are made for the special holiday of Hinamatsuri, which translates as “girls’ holiday.” These dolls depict representatives of the imperial family. They are made from expensive materials, so they are of great value and are usually passed down from generation to generation. There is an ancient Japanese custom - in houses where there are girls, there are exhibitions of richly dressed dolls that depict the life of the imperial court. This doll is considered one of the best gifts for the birth of a girl.
• For Children's Day or Boys' Day (in Japanese, Tango no Shoku), they also make special dolls - Musya-ningyo or Gogatsu-ningyo. These dolls depict samurai and various historical heroes in armor.
• Gosho-ningyo - mascot dolls for a long journey. They are usually made of wood or clay and depict children.
• Hakata-ningyo are designer, very expensive dolls that I make from bisque ceramics in a single copy.
• Kiku-ningyo are dolls almost as tall as a person, they are made from fresh chrysanthemums on a bamboo frame. They are used to decorate autumn holidays and festivals.
• Ball-jointed dolls are modern Japanese dolls made from porcelain-like plastic. They completely copy living people, except that they don’t breathe.
• Ningyo - these unique creations of masters from Japan can tell a lot about their people, their characteristics, character and history and answer the question why not only children, but also adults in Japan love to play with dolls so much.

• When and where the first netsuke appeared are two questions that have remained the most controversial and discussed among lovers of Japanese antiques for several decades. The most common version is that netsuke was invented in the land of the rising sun in the sixteenth century. Until the end of the Edo period (1615-1868), shells, stones and pieces of wood of suitable size and shape with natural holes, nuts, pieces of bone were used along with netsuke made by professional carvers. There were also netsuke in the form of a gourd. There is an assumption that the first netsuke of Kyoto carvers looked like figures fifteen or more centimeters in length. Their prototype was the Malay ornate knife handles. These netsuke depicted the sennin, the demon lord Shoki, the goddess Kannon, and the legendary heroes of Chinese mythology. Netsuke of this shape eventually went out of fashion; they were remembered only in the second half of the eighteenth century. It was during this period that the second wave of netsuke craze arose. There is a popular belief that netsuke brings happiness and drives away bad luck from home forever. Netsuke began to be used as amulets, and real works of art were created from wood, ivory, or metal. These include figures of gods, fairies, sages, animals and birds. The use of netsuke begins to become more functional: with their help, essential things such as a tobacco pouch, a pipe, and keys are attached to the kimono belt. It is this role that netsuke owes its name - netsuke, counterweight, keychain.

• Over time, netsuke falls into the hands of children and becomes a favorite toy, which parents are happy to give to them for games, in the hope that they will bring happiness to their children and protect them from adversity and illness. Children are specially given various netsuke - images of the Sage Daruma, who bestowed fortitude, fortitude and courage, Daikoku with a bag of magic rice promised wealth, and Ebisu with a magic carp in his hands - good luck (just as it is difficult to catch a carp with your bare hands, it is also difficult to achieve peace of mind ).The double figurine of Daikoku and Ebisu bestowed happiness and good luck, going hand in hand. Shousin, the god of happiness, held ginseng root (health) and a magical peach (longevity). Hotei - another god of happiness, fun and communication - was depicted in different ways, sitting or standing, but always smiling. He fulfilled his cherished wish. To do this, you had to stroke his stomach three hundred times, while thinking about something desired. On the way, the children were given Futen with them - the uncle of the fair wind, who brings good luck along the way. He carried a bag behind his back and smiled serenely... As many people as there are netsuke - and each personifies human dreams of happiness, health, love and wealth... Years go by, but my sages do not change, they still look mockingly and patronizingly at our world, protecting and making it better. Eternal and unchanging, like the ocean washing the shores of their homeland, mysterious and incomprehensible Japan.

• Man is a divine creation, and he should not forget this when he reproduces his image, even if this image is just a doll. But in India, a doll has never been just a toy - something used, designed only to occupy and entertain a child. Whether it is an ancient figurine from the Indus Valley, or a figurine of a deity that parents make for a child from scraps in order to gradually introduce him to the spiritual tradition - all this is a cross-section of Vedic culture, all this is a living tradition, which is based on the same thought: peace - this is a canvas in which there are no random threads, no unnecessary details. If you break one thread, you will disrupt the harmony of the world.

• Maharaja doll. 1930-1940s

• The dolls' costumes, the main semantic element, are particularly detailed. They are not made from scraps, but are woven specifically for each character and are absolutely proportional to the figures. The sari of a woman from Gujarat is made using the knot painting technique; the figurine from Kashmir wears a Muslim outfit made of woolen fabric (not very typical for India), and a miniature Kashmiri shawl. Costumes are traditional clothing of different peoples. The original inhabitants of India are characterized by unstitched clothing - saris, dhoti (men's clothing made from a strip of fabric, draped on the legs in a special way), dupattas (scarf-capes), bedspreads, turbans. People who once came to India are more accustomed to wearing kurtas (jackets), shalwars, cholis (short blouses), and gharas (skirts).

• Doll from Rajasthan. 1940s

• We can call Indian dolls little ambassadors, works of art, ethnographic exhibits, representatives of the Vedic tradition of India, but not a single concept can fully characterize them. Like any ambassadors, they represent only a small cross-section of the culture behind them. Like any works of art, they appeal to the hearts of viewers, making them think about the beauty of the world. As representatives of the oldest tradition, they can only hint at the philosophy hidden behind it. And yet they continue to be a mystery. We call them dolls because we can't find another word.

• Indian couple dolls in folk clothes

• Dolls from Rajasthan, India

• Bride doll from Punjab, India

• The tradition of Indians making dolls from corn leaves goes back almost 1000 years. Such dolls are most famous among the Iroquois tribes. Brittle dried leaves were soaked in water, after which they became soft, and figures of men were woven from them. Such dolls were made for both girls and boys. Making various things for dolls helped children master many crafts needed in adulthood. The girls' dolls were given cradles, hoes, dishes and other things necessary for women's activities. Boys' dolls were given weapons, oars, boats and other equipment of warriors and hunters. All these parts were also made from corn leaves, weaving, twisting and stitching them.

• The very first corn dolls were very simple - a few bunches of corn leaves tied together. Later, when the Indians began to acquire European goods - fabrics, beads, items of European clothing, the clothes of the dolls became more complex and varied, they more and more carefully copied the clothes of real people. A distinctive feature of corn dolls is their lack of faces. At most, a reddish blush on the cheeks, and even then extremely rarely. This fact is explained by a legend.

• Many years ago, one of the Three Sisters, Corn, wanted to do something special for the people who held her and her sisters, Bean and Pumpkin, in such high esteem. The Great Spirit blessed her and she made a small doll from her leaves. This doll was supposed to entertain children and help them. The doll turned out to be very beautiful and performed its duties successfully. People were happy about her and often said how beautiful she was. And one day the doll saw its reflection in the water, and, forgetting about people, admired its beauty for a long time. Then the Great Spirit reminded her of what it was created for, and the doll returned to the children, but not for long. Someone again reminded her how beautiful she was, and the doll again forgot about the children. She became arrogant and arrogant. And again the Great Spirit reminded the beauty of her purpose, but she no longer listened to him, but only admired her reflection in the water. Then the Great Spirit sent a giant Owl, and it snatched the beauty’s reflection from the water and carried it away. Again and again the doll looked into the water, but could no longer see anything. Her beautiful face disappeared. Since then, the doll must fulfill its purpose - to play with children, and perhaps for this the Great Spirit will forgive her and return her face.