Catalog: Vintage Arts: Regional Art: Asian: Japanese: Dolls (1)

Two dramatic Bunraku Puppet Kashira (heads) from the Awaji puppet carving tradition. The male is Kumagai Naozane, a character from the Heikei Monogatari present at the Battle of Ichinotani made by Ryuun. The female figure is Yaegakehime from the play Honcho Nijushi ko. They are both roughly 20 cm (8 inches) tall from the neck, 40 cm (16 inches) tall as they are seen on their stands respectively and are in excellent condition. They are fully functional, both nod up and down, and can open and or close their eyes by toggles on the neck, and his eyebrows move up and down.
Kumagai Naozane　was a famous soldier who served the Genji (Minamoto) clan during the Heian period of Japanese history. Kumagai is particularly known for his exploits during the Genpei War, specifically for killing the young warrior Taira no Atsumori at the battle of Ichi-no-tani in 1184.
The princess is the heroine of a five-act drama named the 24 models of filial piety (Honcho Nijushi Ko). This historical drama was first performed in 1766.