Dollicieux - The Ezine for Asian Style Ball and Joint Dolls, vol. 1 issue. 8

The Power of Asian Ball-Jointed Dolls. This month we conclude our series on the history of BJDs written by Elizabeth A. Allen. We hope you've enjoyed this fascinating series on our dearly beloved angels.

In parts One and Two, we looked over the history of Japanese dolls as honored beings of great beauty and power. In Part Three, the final section, we'll discover what all this history means and how it relates to our ABJDs.

In this admittedly incomplete overview of Japanese doll history, two themes show up. The first theme is of dolls as magical creatures. Over the course of history, Japanese dolls have been guardians (the haniwa), role models (the hina ningyo and musha ningyo), actors (bunraku puppets), even stand-ins for absent loved ones (the masukotto ningyo). Japanese dolls don't just sit there; they actively do things. They look like people and have some of the same functions people do, and dolls are often treated in Japanese history as if they are alive.

The second theme is of dolls' increasingly intricate construction and consequent realism. Initially Japanese dolls were made of natural materials with few embellishments, like the simple clay dolls of the Jomon and Kofun periods. Then they became more complex; the dolls of the Girls' and Boys' festivals represented highly detailed costumes and accessories. Bunraku puppets added complicated joints to the mix. Then the "three-fold" dolls and their descendants, the ichimatsu ningyo, combined removable clothes with high levels of articulation. With their poseable limbs and multiple outfits, the ichimatsu ningyo could change clothes and take positions just like people. Dolls, already culturally regarded as powerful and animated, seemed more alive due to their more naturalistic articulation and outfits

Getting back to the subject of ABJDs, our modern dolls follow the same historical trends. The makers of our ABJDs regard them as alive in the same way that the Japanese may consider dolls as having spirits. For example, the official Web site for Volks promises that its Full Choice System "will deliver you your dream daughter," as if the Super Dollfie you order is an actual human child. And Custom House points out that Ai, the name of its dolls, means "child" as well as "doll" in South Korean, thus reinforcing the link between the doll and a living being. Finally, the mere names of the companies Soul Doll and Not Doll Lab imply that the dolls they sell are more than dolls, that they have spirits.

Furthermore, even though they are a young phenomenon, ABJDs, like Japanese dolls over time, are also being made with increasing detail. The first ABJDs featured one-piece torsos, single-ball joints at knees and elbows, non-swappable hands and only one skintone. Now we have dolls with jointed torsos, double-jointed knees and elbows, various bust sizes and many tints of complexion. Sleeping heads and swappable hands add to their expressiveness. Whatever the next great ABJD innovation will be, it will definitely push the envelope in terms of realism and intricacy.

With the historical perspective of this article, we can easily see what's so special about all ABJDs, not just Volks' Super Dollfie, but also Cerberus Project's Delf, Custom House's Ai and all dolls following in Super Dollfie's footsteps. ABJDs are strongly influenced by Japanese culture, which considers dolls more than just toys. Dolls can share your food and be your friend, more like a small person than a toy. In short, dolls are seen in Japanese culture as much more similar to people than they are different (even though we're alive and the dolls aren't), and ABJDs are no exception.

No wonder the questionnaire for Super Dollfie owners asks, "Do you believe that your doll has a soul?" Our ABJDs come from a historical perspective that believes that they do!

Elizabeth A. Allen lives in Boston, MA, with Sardonix Sanguinarius [CP elf Lishe/Volks DD1] and Jareth [modded Dollshe SA Haund] and many 1:6 hordes.

Dollicieux would like to thank Elizabeth for sharing her series with us. Her hard work is greatly appreciated.

Series - Dolls with Souls