Dolls For Hina Matsuri - Japan Taisho Or Early Showa Period 1920-30

Dolls made of fabric and lacquered papier-mâché - probably missing accessories - Taisho or early Showa period (1920-30). The box is original (shocks, deformations, glued back together.) The term doll in Japan is "ningyō", "human form". Japan has a special relationship with dolls: Until the beginning of the Meiji era, dolls participated in ritual and religious ceremonies, imbuing themselves with the sins of the people who touched them. Since the end of the 17th century, the "Girls' Day (hina matsuri)" festival, also known as the "peach festival", has been celebrated on March 3, the peach blossom being representative of feminine qualities of grace and kindness. On May 5, for little boys, warrior and refined dolls are exhibited, placed on small platforms. In this case, it is a samurai master and his young student. See at the end of the slideshow a hina matsuri layout from the 1930s.