19th-century pregnant dolls
19th-century obstetric training doll – Wada Museum [+]
In the 18th and 19th centuries, sideshow carnivals known as misemono were a popular form of entertainment for the sophisticated residents of Edo (present-day Tokyo). The sideshows featured a myriad of educational and entertaining attractions designed to evoke a sense of wonder and satisfy a deep curiosity for the mysteries of life. One popular attraction was the pregnant doll.
“Light-skinned” pregnant doll – Edo-Tokyo Museum [+]
Although it is commonly believed that these dolls were created primarily to teach midwives how to deliver babies, evidence suggests they were also used for entertainment purposes.
“Dark-skinned” pregnant doll – Edo-Tokyo Museum [+]
For example, records from 1864 describe a popular show in Tokyo’s Asakusa entertainment district that educated audiences about the human body. The show featured a pregnant doll whose abdomen could be opened to reveal fetal models depicting the various stages of prenatal development.
Baby doll – Edo-Tokyo Museum [+]
Similarly, records of Japan’s first national industrial exhibition in 1877 indicate a Yamagata prefecture hospital doctor named Motoyoshi Hasegawa showed off an elaborate set of fetus models illustrating seven different stages of growth, from embryo to birth.
Fetus model set (circa 1877) – Toyota Collection [+]
Although it is unclear whether the fetus model set pictured here is the same one Hasegawa showed in 1877, records suggest his model was a hit at the exhibition.
[Source: Geijutsu Shincho magazine, July 2001]
Made in Japan, of course!
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The fetal models are simply amazing. Also, I couldn’t help but notice the stretch marks on the doll’s belly. It is obvious that whomever made them, aimed for the greatest accuracy. So impressive for the times. Interesting post.
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Not all women get stretch marks on their abdomen’s when they are pregnant. it is all about how the hormones are distributed in the body, due to genetics. many get the marks in their hips and thighs, like my mother.
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Seriously, I -really- don’t care :) The dolls are absolutely amazing work.
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I get stretch marks on my hips and breasts anyways.Not looking forward to getting knocked up!
Love this though.
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ewww, that’s kind of gross
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Sorry to gross you out with the reality of nature.
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Do you think they did a live demonstration of how the baby got there in the first place? After all, they are Japanese, they’re freaky like that. GREAT POST!
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that is freaky! i wouldnt last five minutes alone in the dark with this thing.
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Wow! Those are absolutely gorgeous! Is that real human hair as well? Thank you for posting this. I would love to own one of these, but I think I will attempt to make something like this instead.
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Hi Tessa,
Did you have a go making one of these? I’d be interested to see it. I make jointed dolls myself…
Best wishes
Sarah
(UK)
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What are these made of?
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Looks like wood to me.
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..that’s what she said.
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It is weird in the sense that it’s not something modern western audiences are exposed to in the public sphere; we’re taught to consider it more of a private topic. That said, I also noticed the stretch marks and accurate physiology. It’s really beautiful. The women’s faces are gorgeous and the baby’s face is squee worthy cute! Too bad these things would totally come to life and kill you in a dark, abandoned house.
I’m surprised at how old these are. I wonder what mediums they used: wood, paint, etc.? Lastly… by “entertainment” purposes, do they just mean as exhibits in the traveling shows? Okay, lastly, how big were they? Life size?
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Gorgeous! The models of the growing fetus and the changing shape of the fallopian tubes – impressive. They look like little bats on first eyeblink.
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Its really impressive to see that.
I can say ppl learn a lot more seeing how it happens.
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Midge is hotter, and plus she doesn’t have all those gross inner parts. When she has a baby, it just appears underneath a detachable belly on top of her tight abs.
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this post is amazing. would love to have one of these dolls. this doll is a true work of art. thanks for sharing.
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These are FANTASTIC!! I taught pre-natal classes for 20 years and having something like this to use as a demonstration model would have been sooo cool! People have to get over thinking this kind of thing is “creepy or gross”. How can our young people learn what anatomical changes the body goes thru if they can’t see the changes in such a way as this? Pictures can only take you so far. They look like they are made of leather, and they are beautifully made. What a treasure to own. There are so many adults who have had children who are still in the dark about the actual mechanics of how pregnancy and birth works, these dolls could still be used today to teach the beauty and wonder of childbirth to a huge age range of people. This is one time that “Made in Japan” is a welcome sign to read!
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I never got stretch marks at all, but my eldest son grew so fast in puberty that he actually got them on his back.
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The educational wax modes of human bodies and the human reproductive organs and fetal growth and birth are very graphic at the Specola, the natural history museum in Florence, Italy. Last time I was there, school groups around ages 4-8 were going through. It is all there, graphic, normal, and clear. Good education!
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No not all women get stretch marks but many do. You almost never see images of women with stretch marks these days and you can guarantee they will almost always be left out of any images of pregnancy that we see.
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Decidedly creepy, but cool stuff.
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Deliciosamente bizarro
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GEE!! THAT’S SOOOOO COOL! : DDDD
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What is this about strechmarks? I don’t realy care if you have them or not. This is about a piece of practical art. At a date when our great-grandmothers were mostly ignorant about what happened to a body when they were pregnant! Let alone what way a fetus grew. I say, one huraah for the Japanese, this stuff is good!
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Do you have any other blogs similar to this? I really like your writing style.
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Very creepy but at the same time intriguing. It is great that those dolls were created for educational purpose, but is this the same doll that inspire some of them to work on sex dolls? Haha, just a thought.
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man these are freaky!!
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As an artist and mother of 2, I am very glad to have stumbled across this blog. An education to us all in so many ways and a great insight for me in my studies. And by the way, I love my stretchmarks!
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ok, this doll will be good company to my doll without an eye ^^
anyway is really good ancient piece.
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yuck! :/
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great stuff like one lady mentioned above schools should be able to have one of those to teach young generation about sex
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How tall is the call? Is it life size, or miniature?
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I like it.
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Odd questions, does anyone know if c-sections were performed prior to the 19th century in Japan? If not, when was it introduced? I’m currently writing a paper on Childbirth during this Edo period. The name Jundo Ikoda (Dutch medical apprentice) showed up on one of my searches, but haven’t found anything on him.
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Wonderful post…these dolls are truly incredible. What a find!
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