Hakata-ningyo: The Timeless Art of Clay Dolls

Hakata-ningyo is said to have originated in 1600, when Kuroda Nagamasa, the leader of the Fukuda clan, arrived at Chikuzen and gathered artisans to his domain. Those artisans began making bisque-fired clay dolls. In the late Edo period, quality dolls were made by skilled craftsmen, and Hakata dolls were marketed throughout the country. A plaster mold is made from the original clay mold, and the bodies are then cast, fired, and the face and clothes are meticulously painted.