Kimekomi Hina Set
Twentieth Century
6 cm tall x 5.3 cm wide
Cat. 255444
Part of the Boone Collection
© The Field Museum

This keshi, or miniature, dairi-bina imperial couple set is in kimekomi style, in which the clothing is scraps of fabric inserted over wood carved into the desired clothing shape. Nonetheless, even on this tiny scale, the clothing style of the imperial court is maintained. The mebina lady doll wears red hakama pants and a red brocade karaginu over-garment, with gold brocade at the edges of the sleeves for the uwagi and uchigi underlayers. She has a mo apron in back with flower motif, similar to those on full size dolls, but in kimekomi style. She wears the large gold crown typical of mebina dolls, with a phoenix on top. Her face is covered with gofun seashell paste, typical of modern kimekomi dolls, and carries a brightly painted fan. The clothing of the obina, or prince, does not match that of the mebina, as it usually does; however, there is little doubt as to whether these are truly a set, as everything else about them matches. His ho main garment is of burgundy, gold, and green brocade, and he has a hirao-no-tare belt of beige and hakama pants of blue. He wears a gold eboshi hat and carries a plain wooden shaku, a flat wooden scepter. Both sit on simple cloth covered wooden stands, with a set of lacquered paper lanterns painted with flowers for each side of the set. Behind them is a backdrop of wood with a brightly colored spring scene simply painted on it, and the whole set sits on a lacquered stand.

This doll set can also be found in the kimekomi category.


(Commentary by Helena Stenberg)

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