Japanese geisha doll

When the S.S. Chuyei Maru docked in Vancouver in 1951, it was the first Japanese merchant vessel to visit the city since the end of World War II. To commemorate the occasion, and the resumption of trade between B.C. and Japan, Captain Jintaro Yamaguchi presented this doll to the citizens of Vancouver. The doll is a representation of a leading geisha of the time. The doll’s graceful stance and elegant embroidered orange silk kimono recall the beauty of the Japanese geisha.
The doll was originally in the collections held at the City Museum at Carnegie Hall, as well as in the private collection of Major J. S. Matthews, the founder of the City Archives.