Exquisite handcrafted Japanese bridal doll, ca. 1960s, in formal nuptial attire, dressed in a resplendent red and gold brocade wedding kimono (uchikake), and holding a traditional ceremonial fan (suehiro) in her right hand. Hanayome (花嫁) is a term that translates literally to “flower bride” or simply “bride.”
The doll is meticulously handcrafted, featuring multiple layers of finely tailored textiles, and a body stuffed with wood and fiber materials. The hands are delicately modeled—softly padded and articulated with individually wrapped wire digits, each sewn in white fabric.
The head appears to be carved or molded from toso (a wood composition material), and is coated with gofun, a traditional white pigment derived from pulverized mollusk shells. Facial features are skillfully hand-painted over a sheer silk overlay, lending a sense of refinement and subtlety to the expression.
Her long, lustrous black hair is arranged in an elaborate bridal coiffure, adorned with intricate resin kanzashi hair ornaments. She wears the ceremonial tsunokakushi, a headdress symbolically meant to veil the "horns of jealousy," evoking ideals of marital harmony and modesty.
Mounted on a lacquered stand.