This Nō dancer doll is intended for display during Hinamatsuri (the Doll Festival). The doll is portrayed kneeling on one knee; he has a stiff topknot tied with a green cord and wears a richly brocaded silk kimono in gold, blue, red, and green with wide tan silk trousers. The doll has composition hands, legs, and feet; his head is painted pinkish white with red lips. His kimono has wide sleeves with a tan silk cord woven into the edge and a tan obi (sash) at his waist.
A composition doll is a doll made partially or wholly out of composition, a material made from sawdust, glue, and other materials such as cornstarch, resin, and wood flour. The first composition dolls were made in the 19th century. They were marketed as unbreakable, compared to earlier more fragile dolls.
