Miss Tottori

Original Name:
Miss Miyagi
Personal Name:
Unknown
Artist:
Takizawa Kōryūsai II
Location:
South Dakota State Historical Society
City:
Pierre
State:
South Dakota

Miss Tottori is by the artist Takizawa Kōryūsai II and her kimono crest is the maru ni mitsuba aoi (encircled triple hollyhock). She was originally placed in the State Historical Museum in Pierre, SD, which is now known as the South Dakota State Historical Society.

Miss Tottori returned to Japan in 1988 to be part of the important exhibition of 19 Friendship Dolls and 34 of the “blue-eyed” Doll Messengers of Goodwill organized by the Kokusai Bunka Kyōkai (Japanese International Culture Association), Sogo Department Store and the Asahi Shimbun newspaper in Tokyo. Using Sogo Department Stores as the venue, from April to September, this exhibition visited 10 different locations in Japan: Yokohama, Hiroshima, Tokushima, Kobe, Sapporo, Matsuyama and several locations in the greater Tokyo area, including Chiba, Hachioji, Kashiwa and Omiya.

She retains a nearly complete set of accessories, but is missing her original base, her passport and ship ticket, as well as her US-made travel trunk.

The triple hollyhock crest on her kimono is one of the few crests that appear on multiple dolls. In this case, Miss Nara/Kanagawa in Boise, Idaho also bears this crest.

Through archival photographs, Miss Tottori has been identified as the original Miss Miyagi.

Kimono crest:
Maru ni mitsuba aoi (Encircled Triple Hollyhock)
Dogu (furnishing) crest:
Sakura (Cherry Blossom)
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