Collections Within My Collection: The Kazari-uma/Japanese Battle Doll Horse

Pieces in my collection that are one of a kind are grouped in what I call my Outliers collection. Today's piece is definitely an outlier.

In 1974, my dad showed me an ad in the newspaper about a collection of horses for sale. He offered to take me to look at it and buy some pieces. It was a good find -  I got an HR Adelaide, HR Amir (small), a neat Hartland Saddlebred, and this oddity:

I'd never seen anything like it - it was lightweight and seemed made of paper mache with a costume made from fabric covered wood.

It was very unusual and I have kept it in my curio cabinet ever since.

Only once have I seen a reference to it in the model horse hobby - Linda Walter had the same piece and a picture of it was published in an old hobby magazine that I came across years after the publication date. But there was no identifying information with the picture in the article.

Fast forward to a few years ago. I was noodling around on Ardith Carlton's site, Vintage Custom Model Equine Center. She and Corky Visminas have exciting plans to build a museum for model horses in Michigan.

Ardith had lived in Japan and has long been fascinated with its culture. The VCMEC has a second component, a link to Spa-Kun, the Society for the Preservation and Appreciation of Kazari-uma Ningyo.

Never having heard of Spa-Kun, I clicked on that link, and suddenly discovered the identity of my model. He was a Japanese Battle Doll Horse!

An example of another Japanese Battle Doll Horse from Google Images. Note how similar it is to mine.

The web site includes some information on these interesting pieces:

In a tradition dating back to the 16th century, the Kazari-uma is part of the array of warrior dolls and tot-sized battle gear displayed in the homes of Japanese boys every May 5 (which until 1948 was called Tango no Sekku, or Boy’s Day; it’s now the holiday Kodomo no Hi, or Children’s Day). 

Ranging from Little Bit size to about 18 inches at the ear tips (in general, the bigger the horse, the older it is), most Kazari-uma are white and made of touso (a wood-based composition material) or paper mache, covered with either keuesaiku pasted-on silk-fiber hairs or chirimen cloth, and given glass or crystal eyes and a rooted hair mane and tail. They’re then tacked with lacquered wood, brocade and fringe, and are sometimes graced with rider dolls.

With decreasing living space an increasing issue, though, the Kazari-uma has unfortunately become a luxury option for Japanese families today—and antique Kazari-uma that were once heirlooms now find themselves in secondhand shops and online auctions.

My piece is bigger than a Breyer Classic but smaller than a Breyer traditional. I have kept it in one of my china cabinets to protect it from dust and damage,

but despite the good care,  it is beginning to show signs of age and deterioration.

It's been in my collection since 1974 so it is at least 51 years old; I should not be surprised that it is starting to break down.

I will keep it in its cabinet and check it periodically for more signs of aging. It's a pretty cool piece to have, especially knowing what it is. 

There is some big news for Pepper coming up soon. Stay 'tooned!