Dairi Bina Dolls
27-32 cm high x
32-36 cm wide
Cat. 110663, 110664
Gift of Mr. A.B. Babcock
© The Field Museum

This me-bina doll, or Imperial lady doll, is dressed in the junihitoe dress, a formal court lady costume originating in the Heian period (794-1192), literally meaning twelve layers (of hitoe, an underlayer of kimono). The style of junihitoe worn by this doll is the style of the Edo period (1603-1868), most easily recognized by the existence of the kake-obi, or piece of over-dress vaguely resembling an apron. The color scheme includes predominantly red and brown. She wears red hakama pants and six uchigi, or middle layers of kimono robe, in brocaded white silk and one in red. These can be seen layered at the neckline, although they cannot be seen at the bottom of the sleeves due to the long length of the uwagi. The uwagi , or topmost layer of kimono, is worn above the uchigi layers and is brown brocade. The sleeves of the uwagi kimono are elaborately embroidered and reach to the floor in front of her, covering her hands. Finally, she wears the karaginu over-garment, in red brocade, and the mo, the white apron which lies over the layers of uchigi kimono in the back. The mo is painted with pink flowers and green leaves. Five layers of uchigi in the back are padded. The mo-no-hikigoshi, which hang from the sides of the mo, are visible on this doll, white with green silk stitching and fringe. She wears the hair style of osuberakashi, the formal hair style of the Imperial Court in the late Edo period, which hangs down, but has a white bow in the back. The doll may have originally also had a large metal crown, as is typical of me-bina 'empress' dolls. These crowns, in a Chinese style, were never worn in the time period of the junihitoe, but have been a standard me-bina accessory throughout the history of suwaribina, the sitting hina dolls. Examples of these crowns can be seen on most of the other mebina dolls in the collection.

The o-bina doll, or Imperial prince doll, is dressed in the sokutai dress, a formal court lord costume originating in the Heian period and used still in modern times for formal ceremonies by the emperor. The color scheme is predominantly brown. He wears white brocade ueno-hakama pants. Five layers of akome-to-hitoe, or lowest layer of kimono, are plain unpatterned white silk and the shitagasane, or middle layer, is red silk. The ho, the main garment and most visible part of the dress, is brown patterned brocade which matches the brown brocade of the matching me-bina lady's uwagi, or topmost layer of kimono. The hirao-no-tare, the hanging banner from the belt in front, is very wide with four layers of white, red, blue, and red brocade. He wears a kanmuri hat, the formal court hat from the Heian period until today, which usually has a hanging ei banner, but this hat has no ei. His ornamental sword, kazatachi, is of lacquered paper.


(Commentary by Helena Stenberg)

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