Given I got a few requests to take pictures of my little find, I decided I would. Of course, I didn't directly take pictures of her out of the box, but rather jumped into my project.

If you don't know, I won this lot of dolls on ebay:



I was hoping to receive her in decent condition, but I found her actually a little worse than what I was expecting. Still, I think I got my monies worth, just not my best deal.

First off, I still can't make heads or tails of what I've got. So I'll leave some pictures and explain.


That's her from underneath her uchikake and after I've removed her pants. Yes. Pants. Notice, we've got medical tape on her body.



Look at her feet. Notice anything funny? Yes. Two left feet. I'm really smelling someone's bad restore job now if I wasn't before.



Her feet removed. Two Left's and one left foot is about twice the size of the other.



Close up of her face. Scuffs and dirt marks, which, unfortunately, cannot be removed without lifting the gofun up.



Here's the Uchikake




It's stunning, to be honest, and it would've been splendid when it was new. Unfortunately, it's a wreck, the fabric is weak, and is very badly faded in spots. Most of the damage to it seems to have happened after what I'm referring to as her first restore. On an Oiran, we know that she does not wear her obi over her uchikake, but under it. However, her obi was tied in the back and over her uchikake when I received her, and there is no fading under that obi, which tells me that someone changed her around, but at that point, seemed to know a little what they were doing. I'm planning on having the uchikake framed and preserved. However, I am looking for a yard or two of Meiji-Taisho blue silk.




Wait!? Are those Taisho silks? Why yes, I think they are. By this point I'm confused as could be. I'm guessing these have been replacements. They are not original, the sewing and craftsmanship is. . . shoddy in comparison to the uchikake and the doll's head.



Eri detail.

Well, by this point, I have a head and an upper body, and that's it. I decide to pull one of my other projects, which was a Maiko doll who I have been struggling to fix her face for the last two years, and remove the head, upper body and arms, and use the materials from that to rebuild this oiran. Granted, she be in Furisode, but we've seen Tayuu in Furisode, so this shall be forgiven, yes?



Where's my head?! Yes, Okobo as well, when I can find some feet of the correct size, I will switch that over, which will be an easy task.



And, she's got her collars and head back, and her body has been a little better padded and shaped here.

And then I totally forgot to take pictures because I got into fixing this pathetic dear up.



Voila! She's actually presentable here. Used the back bow off a destroyed Ichimatsu doll, along with part of the obi that was on her ( doubt that it was original, the bow and belt matched and was tied in handarari. ), the furisode seemed to work out with this bow, I do believe junior Tayuu with furisode wear their musubi like this. Shoved as many hair pins as I could in without damaging something. . .





Honestly, I don't even want to know what this doll has gone through, though I do wonder her story. . . The materials and fabrics suggested that she did not only go through one 'restore' ( I use the term loosely, because some of this was done so idiotically. . . ) but two or three times. Given her uchikake and the styling of her face, she was at one time a very impressive if not expensive doll. I'm taking a guess here, but I'm thinking she may have been modelled after an actual Oiran, and maybe even gifted to said Oiran. It was common place for popular Geisha to model for dolls and receive them as presents. Then our lovely dear went through a phase which seemed to have attempted to strip her of being an Oiran, with her obi in back and over her out kimono, her hair ornaments which seemed to have been forcibly removed ( they were glued. . .) So, I'm thinking someone didn't like the fact she was an Oiran and made her something more 'pure,' if that makes sense. From there. . . it just went down hill. Hopefully, this does her some justice!

TL;DR!

Sorry!
XD

This was really cool. I've always wondered how you restore your dolls. I have to say you did an amazing job! I would love to learn how to doing something like this.

Thanks Miehina! My suggestion in wanting to learn how to restore is all hands on. Buy a few ruined Japanese dolls on ebay, they're never too expensive, and just take them apart and then try to put them back together. Take notes on how the dolls are padded out, how they're pinned, the way the kimono are situated upon them, etc, etc. I mainly try to keep all parts original, basically, I try to keep myself having to make things to a minimum. My sewing skills are awful, and besides, it horribly tedious for me. Though I'm biting the bullet on the planned uchikake. We'll see where that goes!

Epoxy is a doll restorer's best friend, especially on gofun dolls, like regluing hands and ankles and easily broken parts, and since most of it dries to a light grey, a soft slip of white paint usually covers the old damage. New flat head pins are great, most of the old pins bend or rust, and that's no good. A good, very sharp blade for all sorts of things(cutting threads, to wiggling stuck pins out ). Fabric and tacky glue. Scissors, of course, wire clips, pliers, paint, cotton balls, cotton batting, tissue paper. . . Not to mention buying 'parts' dolls or odds and ends here. There's a lot to get and do, but it is a lot of fun and rewarding when you can take something pathetic and broken and actually make it pretty again.

You know, call me crazy but the little girl looks a lot happier in the "RESTORATION" Photos then when you initially got her. Tsuruko you did an amazing job, now I know who to go to if I find any dolls that need to be restored.

This is an exceptional thread. what really makes this come to life is....the photos! thank you so much for taking the time to offer a stepby step. I have just started to collect dolls, and though I do not intend to do anything as high end as ou do..I find this so interesting as a newbie.

Thank you.

I agree with the above post, I think she is much happier now. she certainly does "feel" that way.

Wow! 0_0 Awesome job restoring her. (She really does look "happier" in the after photos. ^^; )

i bet she loves you!!!
What a fantastic job you did, kudos.
i must admit i don't know much about Japanese dolls but you've got me interested in them now!