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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
from pinktentacle
