|
Click the little grey Vs above for more links! |
|
|
The "My Dolls" link above will take you to photos & stories about my personal dolls. |
|
The "Doll Clothes & Accessories" link above will take you to the MonkeyTailz Shoppe! SALE on extra inventory...check it out! |
Copyright 2009 MonkeyTailz
Facts from Wikipedia: A ball-jointed
doll is any doll that is articulated with ball and socket joints. In
contemporary usage when referring to modern dolls, and particularly when using
the acronyms BJD or ABJD, it usually refers to modern Asian ball-jointed
dolls.These are cast in polyurethane resin, a hard, dense plastic, and the parts
strung together with a thick elastic. They are predominantly produced in Japan,
South Korea and China. The BJD style has been described as both realistic and
influenced by anime.They commonly range in size from about 60 cm (2 feet) for
the larger dolls, 40 cm (16 in) for the mini dolls, and all the way down to 10
cm (4 in) or so for the tiniest of the tiny BJDs. BJDs are made to be easy to
customize, by painting, changing the eyes and wig, and so forth.
The modern BJD market began with Volks line of Super Dollfie in 1999. Super
Dollfie or just Dollfie, are sometimes erroneously used as generic blanket terms
to refer to all Asian BJDs regardless of manufacturer. Accurately, they are
registered trademarks and should only be used for Volks products.
European and Egyptian articulated dolls made of wood and other materials date
back hundreds of years. The modern era ball-jointed doll history began in
Western Europe in the late 1800s. From the late 1800s through the early 1900s
French and German, manufacturers made ball-jointed dolls with bisque heads and
strung bodies made of composition: a mix of pulp, sawdust, glue and similar
materials. These dolls were between 50 and 100cm (20 and 40 inches) and are now
collectible antiques.
During the 1930s the German artist Hans Bellmer created dolls with ball-joints
and used them in photography and other surrealistic artwork. Bellmer introduced
the idea of artful doll photography, which continues today with Japanese doll
artists, as well as BJD hobbyists.
Influenced by Bellmer and the rich Japanese doll tradition, Japanese artists
began creating strung ball-jointed art dolls. These are commonly made entirely
of bisque and often very tall, sometimes as tall as 120cm (4 feet). These dolls
are purely intended as art, and not for play or even the hobby level of
collecting usually associated with dolls. They cost several thousand dollars, up
to several hundred thousand dollars for older collectible dolls from famous
artists. The art doll community is still active in Japan and artists regularly
release artbooks with photographs of their dolls.
The history of commercially produced Asian resin BJDs began in 1999 when the
Japanese company Volks created the Super Dollfie line of dolls. The first Super
Dollfie were 57 cm tall, strung with elastic, ball-jointed, and made of
polyurethane resin; similar to garage kits, which were Volks main product at the
time. Super Dollfie were made to be highly customizable and to create a female
market for Volks products. See further: Super Dollfie History.
The earliest Asian BJDs were influenced by the anime aesthetic.[3][4] The early,
prominent BJD companies Volks, Cerberus Project[10] with the Delf line, as well
as the Japanese artist Gentaro Araki with the U-noa line[9], all have
backgrounds in anime-style resin figure kits.
Around 2002-2003, South Korean companies started creating and producing BJDs.
Customhouse[11] and Cerberus Project were among the first Korean BJDs companies,
and since then the Korean market has expanded with many more.
The earliest Chinese produced BJDs were knockoffs. Some were direct recasts,
while others were slight modifications of Super Dollfie or Korean BJDs. These
knockoffs were made of plaster, low quality resin or polystone — a mix of resin
and a filler material like sand. They were low in price, but not very
durable.[12]
The first Chinese company to release original BJD sculpts in high quality
polyurethane resin was Dollzone in 2005. Their dolls hit the market in late
2005/early 2006.[13] Since then, several other Chinese companies followed suit,
putting their own BJD creations on the international market.
The first American company to produce a BJD with more of an American aesthetic
influence was Goodreau Doll in 2007.
Modern Asian BJDs
A modified Cerberus Project Delf BJD.Modern Asian BJDs are intended for adult
collectors and customizers and range in price from US$100 to over US$1000. They
are fully articulated and highly poseable. Their body elements are cast in
polyurethane resin and held together by thick elastic cords. BJDs tend to follow
a distinctly Asian view in their aesthetics, but the designs are diverse and
range from highly anime-inspired to hyper-realistic.[2][3][4] Most are
anatomically correct and have proportionally large heads, big eyes and
comparatively large feet, contrasted with fashion dolls like Barbie, and are
capable of standing on their own, without a stand or other support.
Customization
BJDs are readily customizable. Wigs and eyes are easy to remove and replace, as
well as heads, hands, and feet. A doll may even be a hybrid of parts from
different companies. Some BJD owners or customizers even re-shape existing parts
by sanding them or applying epoxy putty to them.
The resin material is easier to paint than the softer and more slick vinyl often
used for other types of dolls. BJD face paint is referred to as a faceup, to
note that it's not just make-up, but all the facial features that are painted
and customized, including eyebrows, lips and blushing to enhance features.
Faceups and body blushing are most often done with acrylic paint — applied with
a regular brush or an airbrush — or soft pastels, and coated with a sprayed-on
layer of clear matte sealant for protection. BJD faceups, even from large
companies, are always painted by hand, and it takes considerable skill to do
detailed, professional faceups.
Culture
There is a sizeable international community dedicated to BJDs. The largest
English BJD forum has over 20,000 members as of November 2008. Enthusiasts also
organize offline BJD meetups and conventions, like BJDC in Austin, Texas and
Dollectable in San Francisco.
BJDs are usually named by their owner, and sometimes assigned individual
characteristics and personality traits. The dolls are often used as subjects of
artistic work, such as photography or drawing, which is shared on internet
forums. Some use their dolls and characters for roleplaying.
Some BJDs are collectible, and limited editions, or skillfully customized dolls
can fetch prices much higher than the original in the second hand market,
sometimes as much as US $5000. However, the customization and personalization
aspects are usually more emphasized in the BJD world. Even collectible
limited-edition BJDs are played with and used as props in photoshoots, and even
dolls that are no longer in mint condition can command high prices in the second
hand market.
Many BJD owners have other interests such as anime, Gothic lolita and cosplaying,
and some dress their dolls in related styles.[20] BJDs can often be seen dressed
in contemporary and casual youth fashions like punk or goth. Other dolls may
display fantasy elements like elf ears or vampire fangs.
Doll manufacturers sometimes base BJDs on characters from anime, manga, other
works of fiction, or even historical figures. Some BJD owners similarly
customize their dolls to create one-off representations of existing characters
or celebrities.
Asian BJDs have been featured in movies and other works. The Korean horror movie
Doll Master from 2004 and the Taiwanese drama film Spider Lilies from 2007
feature BJDs. The virtual band Mistula is composed of customized BJDs, Super
Dollfie and Delf dolls. The main characters in the manga and anime Rozen Maiden
are all BJD-like living dolls.
Sizes and types
The earliest BJDs were all around 60cm or 2 feet tall, but as the market has
expanded they have been produced in many different types and sizes. There are
roughly three main size categories for BJDs: full size, mini and tiny. Compare
with Super Dollfie Models.
Large full size dolls, sometimes referred to as SD size from the Super Dollfie
size range, are around 55-60cm. Roughly 1/3 scale, they usually represent fully
grown teenagers or adult body types. There is also a range of even larger full
size BJD, from 68-90cm tall. Fullsize BJD generally begin at US $500 for
Japanese and Korean dolls, and US $200-$400 for Chinese dolls,[23][24][25][26]
but can easily reach more than US $1,000 for limited-edition dolls.
Mini size dolls, sometimes referred to as MSD size from to Mini Super Dollfie
size range, are about 40cm tall. There are two major categories of minis: those
that are roughly in the same 1/3 scale as full size dolls and are meant to look
like children, and mature minis which are meant to represent fully grown adults
and are closer to 1/4 scale. Minis are usually around US $300-500 for Japanese
and Korean dolls, and around US $150-200 for Chinese dolls.[27][28][29]
Tiny BJDs are under 30cm tall. They are available in many different types and
scales.[30] Some tiny BJD are made look like toddlers or babies next to full
size dolls, these are about 25 cm (10 in) tall. There are also even smaller
childlike dolls, tiny tinies, these are usually not made to be in scale with any
larger BJDs. There are also tiny BJDs with mature bodies, which are in the same
1/6 scale as fashion dolls like Barbie, about 21-30 cm tall. Humanoid anthro
animal BJDs are usually in the tiny size scale. Tinies are usually in the area
between US $100-300.
Production
Ball-jointed dolls are initially modeled in a substance such as clay. The
hardened clay body parts are used to form molds for multiple parts to be cast in
synthetic polyurethane resin. Cured resin has a hard, smooth, porcelain-like
feel, but is much more durable. Unlike porcelain however, polyurethane tends to
turn yellow and decay over time depending on exposure to UV light and heat. The
resin casting process allows for molds to be produced with a relatively low
initial investment, compared to the injection molding commonly used for mass
produced dolls.
Most regular edition BJDs come assembled and painted but without clothes, while
full set BJDs, which are often limited, include clothes. A few BJDs are sold as
bare parts in a kit, similar to a garage kit.
Lines and companies
BJDs are produced by anything from single-person outfits on a hobby level, to
incorporated multinationals. A few artists in USA and Australia produce and sell
their own dolls. In Asia there is a wide variety of companies producing BJDs.
The BJD Orbyrarium book lists 49 different BJD companies[31] and one fan-run BJD
database includes 125 companies as of February 2009. A few of the most notable
BJD lines and companies can be found below.
Japan
Super Dollfie from Volks
Super Dollfie from Volks was the first line of modern Asian BJD. They set the
range of sizes used by most companies. Volks have released a vast variety of
different dolls, most of them limited editions, some in collaboration with
Lolita fashion designers like Baby, The Stars Shine Bright or anime series like
Rozen Maiden. Volks has a number of stores in Japan and Korea, as well as one in
Los Angeles.[33] They also run the Super Dollfie museum, Tenshi-no-Sato in
Kyoto, Japan.
U-noa
The Japanese artist Gentaro Araki first started in BJDs with the Andolrea U-Noss
line in collaboration with Volks. He later went on to create his own company
called Alchemic Labo with a line of mature minis called the U-noa Quluts, but
has recently branched out to other sizes.
Korea
Delf from Luts and Cerberus Project
The Delf line of dolls were designed by Japanese resin kit designers Cerberus
Project[10], made and distributed by the Korean company Luts, who also own the
rights to use the 'Delf' name. These dolls are often referred to by the acronym
CP, or as Luts dolls, after the distributor; dolls produced after 2007 are
correctly known only as Luts dolls due to a split between Cerberus Project and
Luts, who now trade separately. Delf dolls were one of the earliest lines from
Korea, dating back to 2003. They are slightly taller and slimmer than Super
Dollfie and there's a variety of doll types available, including dolls with elf
ears and vampire teeth. Minifee are mini-sized version of the Delf dolls,
distributed by Korean company Fairyland.
Customhouse
Custom House is one of the oldest Korean BJD companies. Their dolls were
featured in the Korean horror movie Doll Master from 2004.[38]
Doll in Mind
D.I.M (Doll in Mind) produces, among other dolls, the Minimee, completely
customized heads created from customer photos or drawings. Some people
commission heads from them in the likeness of celebrities.[39]
Dollshe
Dollshe introduced a line of tall, slim, double jointed mature boy dolls in
2003[41] These are slightly larger full size BJD, about 68cm tall. Their Bermann
doll was strictly limited and is one of the most sought after collectible BJDs.
Dream of Doll
D.O.D. (Dream of Doll) was one of the earliest Korean companies to make a large
line of child like minis, D.O.C. (Dream of Children). They have since expanded
and now make, among others, the D.O.T. (Dream of Teen) line and D.O.I. (Dream of
Idol) line.
Elfdoll
Elfdoll is a subsidiary of the Korean company Artmaze. Elfdoll are created by
the sculptor Rainman and a team of artisans. In addition to a range of fullsize
human dolls, Elfdoll have released many types of tiny anthro BJDs, beginning
with Catsy. They opened a showroom in Glendale, California in August 2007. They
regularly have parties and meetups for BJD enthusiasts.[44][45]
China
Dollzone
Dollzone was one of the first Chinese BJD doll brands, developed and
manufactured by Shenzhen Red Social Toys Ltd. Dollzone make male and female
dolls, 1/3 and 1/4 dolls, and BB dolls in 26cm size.
Ball-jointed fashion dolls
Resin ball-jointed fashion dolls like the Sybarite differ from the typical Asian
BJD in several ways. Their main influence is from the collectible American 16
inch vinyl fashion dolls, like Gene Marshall by Ashton-Drake Galleries and Tyler
Wentworth by Tonner. Ball-jointed fashion dolls are usually around 16 inches
tall, closer to 1/4 scale than the typical 1/3 scale of Asian BJDs. They have
more life-like proportions, smaller heads and eyes, and less child-like, more
distinctive facial features.
Vinyl dolls
There are several types of larger 60cm vinyl dolls in Japan. They are in the
same scale as fullsize BJDs, with similar proportions. The two most common types
are Dollfie Dream (ja:ドルフィー・ドリーム) from Volks and Obitsu (ja:オビツボディ). The first
Dollfie Dream body type was strung and had classic ball and socket joints, but
the current body has an internal skeleton of hard plastic,[48][49] as do the
Obitsu dolls. The vinyl bodies can, sometimes with some modifications, be
combined with a resin BJD head.
Vinyl dolls usually have facial features that are more highly stylized after
anime and less realistic than the typical resin BJDs. Vinyl dolls are easier to
manufacture, machine-made and injection-molded in soft vinyl, and thus lighter
and often less expensive than their Japanese resin counterparts.
