Ryūjo Hori facts for kids
Ryūjo Hori (born Matsue Yamada) was a famous Japanese artist who created beautiful traditional dolls. She lived from 1897 to 1984. Her dolls are known for their amazing detail and unique style.
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About Ryūjo Hori
Early Life and Art
Ryūjo Hori started her artistic journey as a painter. However, her path changed in a surprising way. One day, she was playing with some chewing gum. She noticed that the half-chewed gum looked a little like a human face! This sparked her interest in making three-dimensional art, especially sculptures of people.
Becoming a Dollmaker
Hori began making dolls using simple materials. She used flour and newspaper paste to shape them. For the basic structure, she even used chopsticks! In 1930, she joined an art group called Dontakusha, led by the artist Yumeji Takehisa. After this, she focused all her creative energy on making dolls. That same year, her dolls were shown for the first time at the Hina Matsuri Festival. Early in her career, she learned from two very famous dollmakers, Goyo Hirata and Juzo Kagoshima. Both of them were later named Living National Treasures of Japan.
A National Treasure
Ryūjo Hori developed a new way to make kimekomi-ningyō dolls. These dolls are made by carving grooves into a wooden base and then tucking fabric into the grooves. Her unique style was so special that she was named a Living National Treasure of Japan in 1955. This was a huge honor! She was the first woman to receive this award. She was also the first artist to earn this title mostly by teaching herself.
Her Doll Creations
Hori often created dolls that looked like noble women from the Heian period. This was a time in Japanese history from 794 to 1185. She used paulownia wood for her sculptures. Later in her career, she also used shiso, which is terracotta covered with paper. Her dolls are incredibly detailed and can take a very long time to finish. Some of her dolls took up to ten years to complete! In 1983, she met Nancy Reagan, the First Lady of the United States, during a visit to Japan. Nancy Reagan admired Hori's patience and her beautiful art.
