Silver Jubilee

 It's a special date - PetWORKs' momoko doll's birthday or anniversary and Dolldom is ready to celebrate this unique beauty from Japan as this year is momoko's 25th. 

Enjoy this special photo portfolio featuring dolls from across the years! 

Here's to many more, momoko!

PetWORKs Global

Before Night Falls

Perhaps it’s a living room, maybe a kitchen or a balcony that faces west and every day, while we’re in situ, that fortunate space transforms as the magnificent sun commences its descent into the horizon. Glowing light effects turn the familiar into the magical as red, orange and deep yellow saturate our vision and our minds. The power of a sunset.

For this late July 2026 entry, Dolldom plays with the concept of sunsets, but instead of in interiors, out in nature, preferably while standing on a bluff overlooking the ocean or, if inland, a valley green. Impossible not to stop, stand, and, while in the moment, thank the Graces for the opportunity of another day, a day that, as we watch, has begun its closure and is turning into night.

And who better to invite on this exploration of time than PetWORKs’ momoko and NINE dolls? Dressed in a wide variety of styles, our friends from Japan enjoy the sensations, the thoughts, and the loving company of each other while fully aware of the brevity of the dream.

Today’s momoko 24fs in a vintage jacket by Sekiguchi and slacks by Momokomono

momoko ver.01AT dons a beautiful print dress by Kosucas while PetWORKs Boys B2405 NINE models a shirt by its parent company and beige slacks by Cindy Marut. 

momoko ver.02CM challenges the sunset in a colorful dress by SquishTish, made for fun and sun. PetWORKs Boys, B2410 PS NINE is handsome in separates made by his parent company for the EIGHT doll. 

Today’s momoko 24fs loves wearing Sekiguchi's "More Than a Best Friend" dress and a 1960's straw hat, also made in Japan. 

PW Boys, B2508, NINE is comfortable in jeans by Cindy Marut and a tank sweater by PetWORKs. 

 Today’s momoko 22ss evokes a mermaid in a silky mini dress by SquishTish. The blue lace collar mimics the foam of the waves. 

But...so much can a sunset last before the darkness of night reigns supreme. 

CCS 26SS momoko is a sprite made of starlight in an unlabeled dress made for Licca-chan and found on e-Bay. 

If at all possible, may you enjoy the sunset today too. 

Cindy Marut

PetWORKs Global and Japan

SquishTish

Kosucas on Etsy

Séjour à Kamakura

Longing for a change of pace, Petworks’ Momoko, Eight, and Nine chose to head to the coastal city of Kamakura. After several days surfing and hiking, the friends where excited to visit the monumental Daibutsu or Great Buddha of Kamakura. 

For this visit, our fashionable friends opted to wear traditional Japanese styles to allow us to vicariously travel with them, not only geographically, but also chronologically to a sartorial aesthetic that exemplifies the richness of Japanese history.

B2508 Eight and 25ETO Snake Nine are impressive in their Petworks hakama sets. Manufactured in Vietnam with immense attention to fabric selection, fit, and execution, the hakama sets’ kimonos may also be worn by themselves, providing two distinct looks. 

My Choice Momoko 2109B and Punk Nine wear handmade kimonos by the talented Ayakadoll on Etsy. Momoko models a pink print kimono inspired by the early part of the Edo period while Nine wears an Edo-komon stripe kimono and a Kinran obi. 

My Choice Momoko 2109C models a kimono evoking the middle of the Edo period, also by Ayakadoll on Etsy. Tanaka Hisae, the designer, used antique silk stripe fabric. The Kinran obi is tied using the Taiko musubi (knot) style. 

Momoko, Eight and Nine enjoy this moment with full awareness of its unrepeatable nature and bid us farewell with a collective chant: 

“一期一会” (Ichi-go Ichi-e)  - “One time, one meeting.”

May you cherish the moment as well, dear reader.

Dolls Alive: The Art of Ayakadoll

In a culture inspired by the belief that both the animate as well as the inanimate possess power, dolls in Japan are more than mere toys or objects of beauty. Consequently, it's not strange at all that, in Japan, dolls are believed to have a soul, even more so when we consider that the word "ningyō" translates to "having human form".

This idea could not be more evident than in the amazing work of Ayakadoll by Tanaka Hisae. A veteran of the doll making profession, Tanaka learned her art after working with an expert who created doll heads for Hina, geisha, and Kabuki dolls employing the more than 200-year old method of using gofun (seashell powder) and nikawa (a type of glue made from animal skin).

A time-consuming process, this form of doll sculpting yields - in the gifted hands of Tanaka- countenances of recognizable familiarity and undeniable depth of spirit. In other words, these dolls are alive with their sensitively sculpted eyes with inset glass orbs, nose, and expressive mouths. It's amazing to see how well Tanaka conveys emotion and mood. As it is to be expected, each doll head is an original one-of-a-kind work of art.

Tanaka's idea for creating dolls is also influenced by the desire to allow them to come out of the rarefied realm of the decorative object and become a 21st century fashion doll, one that will convey movement via the use of the highly poseable Obitsu 1:6th scale body. The result if pure genius. Dressed in one of Tanaka's handmade and richly accessorized fashions, an Ayakadoll is both a fashion doll gem and an engrossing lesson in Japanese culture. But the enjoyment of the Ayakadoll does not stop there, for these fashionable dolls are happy to redress in current styles too! From Momoko to Francie to Petwork's Eight and Nine, the Ayakadoll time travels with amazing ease, as our photo portfolio illustrates.

Tanaka's Etsy store, Ayakadoll, is a treat to any dollector looking to enhance their fashion doll family with a soulful new member. For more information, visit Ayakadoll (there's a great photo slide presentation showing how Tanaka makes the gofun heads). Ayakadoll is also on Instagram.

Dolldom is honored to profile the work of doll artist Tanaka Hisae of Ayakadoll.

Time traveling begins...

Ayakadoll on Etsy

Ayakadoll on Instagram.