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Japanese Kimekomi Ningyo Imperial Couple browse these categories for related items... All Items: Vintage Arts:Regional Art:Asian:Japanese:Dolls: Pre 1930: item # 486917 Please refer to our stock # 4-021 when inquiring.
B & C Antiques P. O. Box 291 Derby, CT 06418 203-929-7312 Guest Book $375 |
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| This charming little pair of Japanese Girl’s Day Festival (“Hina Matsuri”) Emperor and Empress dolls are seated on brocade-edged and black and gold lacquer display stands. Early 20th century. The emperor is clad in purple silk brocade and holds a closed fan in his right hand. He wears a high golden nobleman’s hat. The empress is dressed in a layered robe of colorful red silk and holds an open fan in both hands. Her metal coronet is topped with an elaborate phoenix (ho-o bird) and rests on her painted black hair. Their expressive faces are finely carved of wood which has been covered in several layers of gofun (crushed oyster shell), with delicately painted hairlines and eyebrows. Their mouths are open, showing white teeth, and they have hand painted eyes beneath sculpted eyelids. The term kimekomi is applied to the special dressing technique used with wooden ningyo figures – “to push textiles into wood to form a pattern” would be a rough translation. This method was first used with the clothes of wooden Kamo dolls. Hina Matsuri is a March 3rd festival that honors girls with an elaborate display of dolls of the imperial court set up in their homes on a stepped display stand covered with red fabric. The topmost step of the display holds the emperor and empress. Hina dolls were considered works of art to be admired and appreciated and were never played with. After the holiday display, they were wrapped up and stored for the rest of the year, which has kept them in excellent condition. It is uncommon to find Hina Matsuri dolls in kimekomi form. There is a bit of crazing around the Emperor’s mouth which is magnified in the photographs but almost imperceptible when you actually look at the doll’s face; otherwise, these two dolls are in excellent condition. Dimensions: Each doll is 4” high, 3 ½” wide, 2 ½” deep. Brocade edged base is 4” wide, 3” deep, ¾” high. Lacquer base is 5” wide, 3 ¾” wide, 1 3/8” high. | |||||||||||||||
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