竹中温恵
たけなか よしえ
Clothes make the man
Costume-clad dolls involve designing the doll’s appearance, commissioning a doll head maker to create a paulownia plaster head, selecting suitable fabric, cutting and sewing cloth garments, dressing the doll, and positioning its limbs. Over 100 meticulous steps are completed to produce dolls such as hina dolls and samurai dolls.This division of labor among fabric makers, head sculptors, hairstylists, and doll artisans is believed to have been established during the Edo period.
About the Craftsman
In 1964, she married Shigeo, a craftsman specializing in dressed dolls. Around 1970, she began assisting her husband with his dressed doll production, mastering the techniques in the process. Atsue creates hina dolls and samurai dolls in her unique style, “Osana Dolls,” which are dressed dolls reminiscent of wood-inlaid dolls.Currently, the couple runs the Takenaka Hina Doll Workshop. The workshop primarily produces hina dolls and seasonal festival dolls.
Achievements
- Designated as a Holder of Intangible Cultural Properties Registered by Arakawa Ward in Fiscal Year 2007
- Designated as an Intangible Cultural Property Holder by Arakawa Ward in Fiscal Year 2023
Contact Us
- Location: 1-21-7 Machiya, Arakawa Ward Limited Liability Company: Takenaka Hina Doll Workshop
- Hours: 10:00 AM to 5:00 PM (Closed Saturdays and Sundays, except January through April when open daily)
- Phone: 03-3892-9969
- Introduction Video: Living with Tradition—Costumed Dolls by Shigeo Takenaka