Health and good fortune on Dolls Day!
3rd March 2025
Today is Hina matsuri or Dolls Day, which became an officially named festival in Japan in 1687. The custom is to display seated male and female dolls, originally representing the Emperor and Empress, on a tiered stand to promote values of health and good fortune for young girls. More elaborate displays include a multi-tiered stand with up to fifteen dolls representing ladies of the court, musicians and other attendants.
The entire set of dolls and accessories is called the hina kazari. Families normally ensure that girls and women have a set of the two main dolls before their first hina matsuri but the dolls can be costly, so are often handed down from older generations, The hina kazari spends most of the year in storage and girls or women and their mothers begin setting up the display a few days before 3rd March.
This impressive collection of miniature furniture was recently rediscovered at Heath House, Hampshire, in two large lacquer traveling chests traditionally used to store kimonos. These miniatures will be offered as part of our upcoming Asian Art sales on 20th-21st May.
