A new photography book titled "ma poupee japonaise" arrived in the post the other day, sent by German-Italian artist Mario A. After skimming through pictures of an apparently life-sized wooden doll posed mostly unclothed in a variety of private and public places, I uploaded a brief note about the publication to an art Web site. A few days later, Mario sent an e-mail, which read in part, "that you introduced my latest work as a wooden doll, makes me very happy . . . (and honored). Hope you will enjoy my show."

I didn't quite grasp his meaning, and only realized last week at his Mizuma Art Gallery opening party that I had made a big mistake: These were photographs not of a lifelike doll, but of a doll-like woman. So much for my discerning critical eye.

Mario, 42, and his longtime model Sachiko Hara, achieved the illusion with lighting and compositional savvy, and with a number of black elastic bands wrapped around Hara's arm and leg joints. The results are startling. At the reception a Tokyo photographer wondered aloud why he had never seen the technique used before. "I wish I had thought of this," he muttered.