Hina and Japanese Dolls
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Hina Dolls, Kokin-bina type (detail), 1827（Gift of Ms. Yamamoto Yoneko)
Japanese Gallery (Honkan) Room 14
March 1, 2016 (Tue) - April 10, 2016 (Sun)In Japan, the third day of the third month is the “Peach Blossom Festival” for young girls, the time to display festive hina dolls. The history of these dolls goes back to ancient times when people purified themselves by transferring “defilements” and “wrongdoings” to dolls, and also to the Heian period (794-1192) when aristocrats used dolls as protective charms for their children. Early hina are thought to have been standing paper dolls that were used mainly for play.
This exhibition displays various dolls to trace this rich history. We ask visitors to give special attention to the best examples from our collection: gekubi bina and kokin bina, with the latter featuring ivory heads, arms, and legs. Combined with these ivory dolls is a model of a hall at the imperial court used for official ceremonies. It has been cleaned by conservators and is being exhibited for the first time. All of the gosho ningyo dolls in our collection will also be displayed. These kind of dolls were loved by the imperial court and daimyo families, and are considered the finest example of Japanese doll-making because of their superb modeling. We hope that this exhibition will convey the delicacy, beauty, and charm of Japanese aesthetics.
Current exhibit includes:
Hina Dolls, Kokin type, Edo period, dated 1827（Gift of Mｒs. Yamamoto Yoneko)
Hina Dolls, The three ladies-in-waiting, By Sueyoshi Sekishu, Edo period, dated 1827 (Gift of Mrs. Yamamoto Yoneko)
Standing Hina Dolls, With Jirozaemon-type heads, Edo period, 18th-19th century
Gosho DollIn Noh costume, Edo period, 19th century
Hina Dolls, With ivory heads, Edo period, ca. 1850 (Gift of Mrs. Mitani Tei)
Miniature Palace for Hina Dolls, Edo period, ca. 1850 (Gift of Mrs. Mitani Tei)