Antique Japanese Hina Dolls

Hina dolls have been a part of Japanese culture for over a thousand years. The earliest recorded use of Hina dolls dates back to the Heian period (794-1185), where they were used as talismans to ward off evil spirits. During the Edo period (1603-1868), Hina dolls became more prevalent in Japanese households, and the tradition of displaying them during Hina Matsuri began.

The origins of the Dolls’ Festival can be traced back to the Chinese doll festival, where dolls are floated down a river to symbolize the release of bad luck and misfortune. This celebration was once called the “peach season celebration.” Later on, hina-asobi, meaning “playing with dolls,” was added to the festival, a favourite pastime among the children of court ladies and aristocrats who played with paper dolls. Over time, it became believed that these dolls had the power to carry away bad luck when thrown into the river on March 3, the third day of the third month. As this tradition spread throughout Japan, households began to create their own dolls in preparation for the annual festival.

During the Edo period, the Dolls’ Festival evolved to become a way to protect the females of the household from disaster and misfortune by displaying a set of dolls. 

Interesting facts –  The heads of the antique Hina dolls were made by special artists; first the head is moulded and carved on its stick, then eyes are inserted and layers of gofun are applied and polished, and finally the gofun itself is delicately carved and coloured. Wigs are added; The sticks are marked to indicate what kind of doll it is. Then they are inserted into the dolls’ bodies

Female Hina never have visible feet (it was considered immodest) but the males often do.

Hina dolls which have two sets of eyebrows: the normal ones, and a dot or smudge on the forehead. This implies that they belong to the highest aristocracy; in some cases, dolls representing semi-divine persons such as the Empress Jingu have only the “skybrows” and no normal eyebrows at all.