VicP Posted October 12, 2021 Share #1 Posted October 12, 2021 Hello Everyone, I haven’t posted in a long while, so I thought I’d share this work in progress display. I’m trying to put together a comfort bag, and this is what I’ve accumulated so far. It’s a representative example seeing how there are so money types of bags and contents. I hope everyone enjoys the photo. Vic Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SARGE Posted October 14, 2021 Share #2 Posted October 14, 2021 Very neat Vic. Were these comfort bags made up and distributed by the neighborhood associations or by organizations such as the Red Cross? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
VicP Posted October 15, 2021 Author Share #3 Posted October 15, 2021 They were mostly assembled by citizens in civic associations where they would be collected and sent to depots where the military would then transport and distribute them to the soldiers and sailors. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Otter42 Posted October 16, 2021 Share #4 Posted October 16, 2021 I'm assuming these were given to Japanese soldiers, so why the doll? Thanks, Ken Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
VicP Posted October 21, 2021 Author Share #5 Posted October 21, 2021 They were given to soldiers. The doll is what’s known as a Masukotto or mascot doll. They were usually hand made from bits of kimono or other fabric and given to soldiers by their loved ones, (mothers, sisters, girlfriends). The doll was supposed to contain the spirit of its maker, so they would always be with the soldier. This one has a head made from gofun which was a type of paste made from crushed oyster shells. It doesn’t have provenance that it was carried by a soldier but it is a nice period example. Dolls attributed to soldiers are understandably very hard to find. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Otter42 Posted October 22, 2021 Share #6 Posted October 22, 2021 Thanks VicP for the info. Would they buy the doll heads or did they make them by hand as well? Very interesting. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
VicP Posted October 22, 2021 Author Share #7 Posted October 22, 2021 It would depend on what you could afford. I have seen examples of all cloth dolls with the faces drawn on in ink. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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