Kewpie - Kyu-Pi (English spelling) cupie

A mascot doll based on Cupid, the god of love in Roman mythology, with a cute and playful expression. It is a naked child-like figure with a pointed head and small wings on its back. It is made of celluloid, rubber, plastic, ceramic, etc., and comes in a wide variety of sizes. Based on a drawing of Kewpie by an American female artist in 1909, dolls were manufactured in Europe and the United States from 1912. Early dolls were mainly made of ceramic or celluloid, and they were eventually imported to Japan, and domestically produced dolls also became popular. The celluloid toy industry reached its heyday from the Taisho period to around 1935, and Kewpie dolls became the star of the industry. Dozens of different sizes were produced in various designs, and were exported to Europe and the United States. After World War II, they were made of plastic to avoid flammability.

[Ryosuke Saito]

Source: Shogakukan Encyclopedia Nipponica About Encyclopedia Nipponica Information | Legend

ローマ神話に出てくる恋愛の神キューピッドcupidをかわいらしくおどけた表情につくったマスコット人形。頭のとがった裸体の童形で、背中に小さな羽がはえている。セルロイド、ゴム、プラスチック、陶製などがあり、大きさも種類が多い。1909年アメリカの女流画家が描いたキューピーの絵をもとに、12年以降欧米で人形が製造された。初期の人形は陶製やセルロイド製が主で、やがて日本にも輸入され、国産品も盛んに出回るようになった。大正期から昭和10年（1935）ごろにかけてセルロイド玩具産業は全盛期を迎え、キューピー人形はその花形となった。意匠もさまざまで大小数十種が生産され、逆に欧米へ輸出された。第二次世界大戦後は可燃性を避け、プラスチック製となった。

［斎藤良輔］

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