May 17, 2009: Pregnant Dolls

[xoxoxoBruce]

Pink Tentacle posted pictures of these pregnant dolls from Japan's Edo period.

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.

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.

These apparently got a lot of use and were handled extensively, so considering their age, they must be made of wood and/or fired clay then painted.

[Cloud]

I assume these were for demonstrating and explaining pregnancy to patients or medical students back in the days when male doctors didn't touch female patients much?

[Antimatter]

Originally Posted by Cloud

I assume these were for demonstrating and explaining pregnancy to patients or medical students back in the days when male doctors didn't touch female patients much?

I'm not sure that Victorian era European standards are applicable in this case. Oriental customs of the time were very much different. But pregnant doll would save teachers at the medical faculty the trouble of hacking up 7 pregnant women every time they were to explain something about foetal development

[Clodfobble]

It's hard to get a sense of scale, but I look at the first one and see a toy. Barbie once had a pregnant friend, but it got enough complaints (even though the character was "married," husband sold separately) that it was pulled from shelves.

"Most girls want to be like Barbie" or her friends, said Kenya Williams, 29, buying a life-sized baby doll and another gift for daughters Alexis, 9, and Kiera, 7. "Maybe if they would have put them all together as a family, it might be a little different, but alone it sends out the wrong message."

As a child I had the "Visible Man" and the "Visible Woman", and the "Visible Woman" came with a pregnant belly, uterus, and fetus.

Oh right here: http://www.hometrainingtools.com/pro...le-woman-model

[Alluvial]

The Hasegawa models are very cool.

[Cloud]

Originally Posted by Antimatter

I'm not sure that Victorian era European standards are applicable in this case. Oriental customs of the time were very much different.

What, you never read Tai-Pan?
:p

[xoxoxoBruce]

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.

[SteveDallas]

Why not both at the same time??

[xoxoxoBruce]

Considering the craftsmanship that went into these "dolls" I would think they would get all the mileage they could out of them.

Hey, maybe they lowered their health care costs by charging admission to the "sideshows" and using the money to make medical teaching aids.

[scottman]

Why no recipes? I have visited this site for 2 years and am now a member.

[xoxoxoBruce]

Welcome to the Cellar, scottman.

Now you're part of the family, where in hell is your recipe?

[capnhowdy]

One thing for sure. We're gonna need some type of liquid for the recipe, as there is no embryonic fluid.

[lumberjim]

Ingredients:
3 pounds scottsman pieces
1 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon ground nutmeg
1/2 teaspoon pepper
1/2 teaspoon paprika
3 tablespoons all purpose flour
2 cups water
1 cup dry wine
3 tablespoons butter
1 onion, chopped
2 cups fresh small mushrooms
1 tablespoon chopped fresh sage
1 tablespoon chopped fresh parsley
1 cup half and half cream
Hot Cooked Rice

Turn this recipe into a puzzle! [click]


Directions:
Wash and dry the scottsman pieces. Sprinkle with salt, pepper, nutmeg and paprika.

Brown the scottsman in hot oil over high heat in a Dutch oven; remove the scottsman when well browned. Reduce heat to medium, add flour, and cook the flour until lightly browned, stirring constantly. Whisk in 2 cups of water, 1 cup of wine until smooth.

Return the scottsman to the Dutch oven; bring to a boil. Cover and reduce heat to a simmer. Cook 50 minutes.

Remove scottsman , keeping warm, reserve broth in large container. Broth may be strained to remove particles.

Melt butter in Dutch oven, over medium high heat, add onion, cook until lightly browned. Add mushrooms, sage and parsley. Add broth, and scottsman. Cook over medium heat, stirring until thoroughly heated. Served over rice.

This recipe from CDKitchen for Thomas Jefferson`s scottsman Fricassee serves/makes 6

[dropmedic]

The Mystery Man came over, and said "I'm outta sight!!" And said, for a nominal service charge, we'll be eating some young veal tonight!! Well, I was ready, willin' n' able, to afford him his nominal fee, till he he told me right then and right there, they'd be boiled-up in fresh baby pee............((this one is for xobruce & lumberjim, though you don't know me yet))(capt'nhowdy may find my humor to his likin') Ifnot, folks, I,ll go away..............