Hina Doll Imperial Couple (Japanese Dolls)
| Past Exhibit |
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Hina Doll Imperial Couple (Japanese Dolls) |
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| location: |
| Arch Two , Area 19 - |
Older than the complete Hina Doll set, the larger imperial dolls are dated to the late 1800s.
Appearance
Lacking the entire set of matching Hina dolls (court ladies, musicians and ministers), these two Hina Dolls would be defined alone as Genroku-bina, due to their size and relation to one another. The emperor (situated at the top of the cabinet) wears a pale green and cream obi, while the empress (seated at the bottom of the cabinet) wears a red kimono, the large sleeves are indicative of a special occasion such as a marriage, and she holds a fan and wears an elaborate headdress, as would be appropriate for her royal position. The grey specks above eyebrows are symbols of divinity, and their seated ‘lotus’ position is a poise of relaxation, wealth and wellbeing, demonstrating their royal status. The pair are both crafted from wood with lacquered, gofun faces and hands, and can be dated to the early Meiji period (1868 – 1912) in which dolls of this nature were incredibly common.
Purpose
Both the emperor and empress would have been crafted as part of a Hina Doll set for display during the Hinamatsuri, Girls’ Day, festival. They would have been imitations of living or historic emperors or empresses.
