BLOG 17.  “Tea serving doll was the most popular automaton in Edo period.”

Tea serving doll has a mainspring and automatically carry a tea cup to the guest and return. The drawing showed here is the its main mechanism (ref. JAK p.104). The winding black belt in the drawing is the mainspring. Also, the photo here is a replica of the tea serving doll which is made by my friend Minesaki Sougo (ref. JAK p. 247-248). Minesaki-san is specialist restoring karakuri of Edo period. There are tea serving dolls made in Edo period are survived and found not only in Japan but some Western countries. The inventor of this automaton is unknown, but someone who was stimulated by Yoshino Dayu’s mechanical crab (ref: BLOG 13) might make it.

The survived oldest record of the tea serving doll is one of haikai renga (linked short poems) written by famous novelist Ihara Saikaku (1642-93). The poem was written in 1692 as follows:

Cha wo hakobu  　　    (Carrying tea
Ningyo no kuruma   　  Wheels of the doll
Hatarakite          　　    Work so)

Also, famous poet Kobayashi Issa (1763-1828) made a haiku (short poem) as follows:

Ningyo ni                     (By the doll
Cha wo hakobasete       Tea was delivered
Kado suzumi                 A breeze enjoyable here)

 BLOG 16.  “Mechanical crab suddenly appeared out of nowhere.”

The highest rank of courtesan in Kyoto of Edo period was Tayu (or Dayu), and Yoshino Dayu Tokuko (1606-43) was a renowned beauty, well educated, talented much sought-after courtesan. Around 1630 she had a unique toy which is the spring-driven metal mechanical crab carrying a cup atop its back. The crab was perhaps used an entertainment to bring saké cup to guests for the party.

This crab exists now and examined in detail. The outer shell of it is not only made of solid silver and thickly covered with gold leaf but encrusted with peacock feathers and precious stones. X-ray examination of the interior of the crab revealed the escapement and the spring installed in the barrel.
The crab is so decorative, gorgeous and the mechanism is the western clockwork. The maker is unknown and it is also not clear how the crab came to be delivered to Yoshino Dayu.

The appearing of this crab is too early to the Japanese karakuri history. I think the crab could be made in the workshop in the Forbidden Palace, Beijing, China.
In 1802, Kyokutei Bakin (1767-1848), who is a popular novelist, met Yoshino’s grandson in Kyoto, and examined the crab. He reported with illustrations in some books. I am attaching the illustrations here (ref: JAK p.19-20).

BLOG 15. “Karakuri chariots marching on the street – Karako-sha”

Here is the movie of Karakos-sha marching on the street. This chariot was ordered to build by a wealthy merchant and completed between 1830 and 1844. The performance is the same as Hotei-sha and writing kanji word.