Suggested Readings

If you'd like to learn more about the meaning and importance of dolls in various cultures, a suggested reading is Queer Dress and Biased Eyes: The Japanese Doll on the Western Toy Shelf by Judy Shoaf. The article discusses the great variety of dolls in Japan, from high art to folk art. It also details the great importance of the figures to Japan, in not only it's own cultural rituals, but also as a launching point to international relations. As well, it illustrates the influence that Japanese dolls have had on doll manufacturing world-wide, such as the creation of pose-able dolls with hinged limbs. The author discusses many common traits of dolls across cultures, such as the necessity of physical attractiveness in the form and their predisposition “as toys for little girls, which lead their imaginations toward marriage and family life.” (Shoaf, 179) The author does a wonderful job of informing about the way in which dolls are used in Japan, and also manages to discuss the controversy sometimes surrounding dolls, namely whether they are a proper influence on young girls. Furthermore, this article is also about a culture clash, detailing different types of racism (from minor to outright) seen as the dolls cross the ocean and enter the Western World (Shoaf). Dolls are essentially the tangible products of cultural idealism so it is not surprising that they are also the vessel for discrimination. Overall, Shoaf's article manages to be interesting and informing, and gives great insight into the world of Japanese dolls, something this exhibit was not able to aptly cover.