She is dressed with her original antique silk kimono... a serene oriental beauty
And she also has another Ichimatsu friend which I believe not to be as antique as she is...
This beautiful Ichimatsu doll belongs to early Showa era, so she is about 70 or 80 years old. Her body is wrapped with Washi paper and she has some Japanese writings on it. This means that she has the signature of the craftsman that made her. Ichimatsu dolls are not made of bisque: face, hands and feet are made of ‘Touso’, a material made of paulownia, which is a senior Japanese wood, and a special glue.
This doll’s faces are painted with ‘Gofun’, a really fine powder made of that glue, ‘Nikawa’ (of animal nature) and shell powder. The doll’s face is painted over and over again with ‘Gofun’ till it reaches a perfect appearance.
These dolls should never be cleaned with water or wet towels. If they do, their faces will disappear. And if the doll is exposed to very dry or high temperatures, ‘Gofun’ may crack so, in such circumstances, it is advisable to keep a glass of water close to the doll
Just like her friends, the little Sakura dolls, this Ichimatsu is the symbol of a very dear friendship... She was a special gift from Palmira Yamazaki and came out of her own collection...
She looks like a princess among all her Sakura little friends...and now has another friend, this beautiful Ichimatsu that my dear friend Palmira Yamazaki gave to me:
