February 22, 2011

Without Hina Dolls・・・

 a pair of folding screens of  my Hina dolls
 My Hina dolls are not at home any more but under a stone monument at a temple. I had a simple set of Hina dolls, consisting of the emperor , empress, their furniture, household goods and a pair of folding screens .  They came to my house, being  handed from the elder sister of my mother when I was born. They were crafted around 1900. More than fifteen  years ago, my pretty empress had a deep scar  on the face accidentally.  I asked my mother if she knew a good craftsman to cure my empress. She told me it was about time for her to sleep in peace and advised me to take my dolls to a temple where every autumn they would perform the  memorial service for dolls , set the dolls on fire(a kind of cremation) and place their ashes under the stone monument . At last I decided to take them to the temple. How I loved their adorable faces! How I loved the elaborate and delicate crown of the empress!  Since then, their  miniature furniture and other items in the wooden boxes had been kept in  the closet.

My mother's friend's empress, 100 years old

There is a custom in Japan that parents give their daughter a set of Hina dolls at birth or on her first birthday, and  celebrate her growth  wishing for her happiness and health.The set of the Hina dolls with the  miniature furniture, household goods and other items are displayed for a several days before Hina Doll Festival held on March 3rd. Some sets are very gorgeous and others are very simple. Hina dolls are very special for girls and  more than the dolls. Even though the dolls are broken or soil  over the years, we never throw them away like garbage.
  
 I remembered them as Hina Doll Festival was coming. I decided to celebrate Hina Doll Festival 
 by displaying their belongings once more.

Let's me show you some of them・・・the miniature furniture, household goods
 and a pair of folding screens of my Hina dolls.  Without their masters, they look lonesome.
All of them are almost 100 years old and I feel very sorry for them
 because I have not taken care of them carefully to preserve them.

table service 

lunch box 

sowing set

charcoal brazier

Japanese-style chest

wooden boxes for Kimono, Japanese national dress 

 side table 

Among them, I especially love  a pair of folding screens.
Drawings on the screens depict  noble people in the 10th century celebrating  New Year's Day.
In those days, the beautiful women had to have long inky hair, slit eyes and plump cheeks.
Don't you think the standard of the beauty differs from time to time??
They are three happy trees,  pine, bamboo and Ume -Japanese apricot. 

For your reference.
Compare them with my cellular phone, so you will know how big they are.


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17 comments:

  1. I'm sad or your Emperor and Empress HIna Dolls but happy that you still have their miniature belongings to display. I, too, think the screens are beautiful. My Japanese friends write of apricot blossoms, and I see that Ume are esteemed even in 10th Century Japan. I enjoyed your informative post.

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  2. Wonderful tradition! The details on the doll's furniture and the screen are amazingly beautiful. How sad that one of your dolls was damage, but it sounds like you have taken care of them properly by taking the emperor and empress to a temple to have them burned.

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  3. Wonderful dolls and supportive items. This is a beautiful treasure.

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  4. how sad you had to part with your dolls. the miniatures are gorgeous--such lovely details. it's a beautiful tradition.

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  5. 100 year-old empress and your folding screen are charming. I feel them more japanese-like. It's worth to appreciate. I've never seen such beautiful screen. My Hina-Doll were given by my grandparents were in the palace. And they are sleeping forever,too.

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  6. I'm impressed about your treating very politely of your Hina dolls. It's a beautiful story, and the belongins are so beautiful. I'm attracted by the sowing set and the lunch box.

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  7. We just had a Hina dolls cremation ceremony at our local temple, however, I did not go there.
    Your Hina set appears to be sort of priceless asset! I am impressed at the detailed carvings and the paintings of them, as well as its centenarian history.
    Am sad to hear from you what happened to her face...
    Thanks for sharing a touching story.
    Yoshi

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  8. thanks for sharing this story with us. There is so much to learn from other cultures. :)

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  9. Hina dolls seem to have had their own memories and histories and wishes for each family.
    There is such kind of holding screens! Looks elaborate and beautiful.

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  10. What a lovely story of your Hina dolls. It was wonderful to hear of this part of your culture. How sad for you to put your Hina dolls to rest.

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  11. お雛様の一生というものがあるとしたら、お母様の代からそのご家庭の女子を愛で守られ幸せな生涯を過ごされた事と思います。とても立派なお道具をお持ちですので、ご自分の為、お嬢様お誕生の際に 新しく雛人形を迎えられると、また新たなご家族の歴史が始まり素敵でしょうね。Thanks for showing us your precious a set of Hina dolls which have been taken from your family.

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  12. 以下は私のブログに感謝あなたが訪問してあなたのエリア..おかげで、いくつかの写真言う素晴らしい美しいを持つことを望みます。

    鳥。

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  13. Anzuさん、いいアイデアです!!いつになるかわかりませんが、女の子が孫が生まれたらそうしますね。息子の結婚はまだまだ先なのです・・・・・

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  14. Blancanieves, gracias por compartir las costumbres de vuestra milenaria cultura. Para los españoles Japón está muy lejos física y espiritualmente. Gracias por compartir.

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  15. The Hina dolls reminds me of the loftiness of the family's social standing.
    The all is the Japanese pride.

    Thank you for your visit.

    Good weekend
    ruma

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  16. Wow... These Hina dolhouse furnitures are so lovely... That is quite a collection you've got here ! Thanks for the wikipedia link, too : very useful to learn more about this japenese custom I had no idea of...

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Thanks a lot for visiting my blog and leaving warm messages. I will visit your site soon. keiko

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