The Collection of Figures Representing Chinese Culture and Customs at Kyoto University

Thirty-eight items labeled “Figures representing rural lives in China” are stored at the Division of Geographical Materials, Kyoto University Museum. Among these, thirty-three carved wooden figures that were purchased in 1913 by the Department of Geography, College of Letters, Kyoto Imperial University. These are elaborate models representing farming and everyday life scenes during the late Qing dynasty. Most of the figures are about one-twentieth life size, but several are somewhat larger and the types of wood also vary. Many figures are of people with tools to represent activities such as farming and selling goods, and a few are of tools only. The difference in the skill of wood carving varies among figures, from simple and crude carvings to very precise artworks. In addition to these figures, there are three opera dolls made of cloth and beads, and two ceramic models of houses. In spring 2020, this collection was made available as a digital archive.