Japanese Meiji Era Silk Hina Dolls, Emperor & Empress

East Asia, Japan, Meiji era, ca. late 19th to early 20th century CE. A pair of Hina dolls traditionally displayed during Japan's Hinamatsuri festival. The figures are made of wood and covered in silk fabrics. The faces and hands are crafted from gofun, a white pigment made from powdered oyster shells, giving them a porcelain-like appearance. Their features are painted, with fine eyebrows and inlaid glass eyes, and a pair of faint smudge-like dots on the forehead, signifying their status as the highest aristocracy - possibly the Emperor and Empress. The male doll, Obina, wears a court robe of brocade silk and dons a black hat (kanmuri), symbolizing his imperial status. The female doll, or Mebina, is adorned in an elaborate junihitoe, a silk kimono with brocade, and a tin crown (kanmuri) with trailing ornaments. She holds a ceremonial fan and is seated upon a silk pillow. The heads of both dolls are removable, with the gofun-coated heads mounted on sticks that insert into the wooden bodies. Size of man: 10" L x 4.5" W x 9" H (25.4 cm x 11.4 cm x 22.9 cm). Item # 191816

Estimate:£112.12

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