In Celebration of the Japanese Doll Festival
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Amagatsu Doll
Edo period, 19th centuryJapanese Gallery (Honkan) Room 14
February 10, 2026 (Tue) - March 22, 2026 (Sun)Japanese families celebrate the Doll Festival on March 3, during which they pray for the health and happiness of their daughters. The festival has its roots in ancient rituals in which people transferred their sins and spiritual impurities to dolls and cast them into rivers.
During the festival, families display elaborate dolls called hina in their homes, arranging them to depict aristocratic wedding ceremonies on a miniature scale. These hina dolls became popular during the Edo period (1603–1868) among a wide range of social classes. This exhibition presents historic dolls from the Edo period and beyond, highlighting the Japanese tradition of appreciating small and adorable yet meticulously crafted objects.
| Designation | Name | Creation/ Excavation/ Provenance |
Period | Acquisition/ Ownership/ Accession Number |
CMT | ||
| Highlight | Dresser | Edo period, ca. 1850 | Gift of Mrs. Mitani Tei, I-1954 | ||||
| Highlight | "Imperial Palace" Doll | Edo period, 19th century | I-3492 | ||||
| Highlight | Amagatsu Doll | Edo period, 19th century | I-1634 | ||||
| Highlight | Miniature Palace for Hina Dolls | Edo period, ca. 1850 | Gift of Mrs. Mitani Tei, I-4363 | ||||
| Highlight | Hina Dolls with Ivory Heads | Edo period, ca. 1850 | Gift of Mrs. Mitani Tei, I-1928 | ||||
| Highlight | Hina Dolls (Ryūkyū Type) | Second Shō dynasty–Meiji era, 19th century | Gift of Mr. Nishizawa Kōichi, I-1777 |