*SHIPPING OPTIONS VARY DEPENDING ON THE DESTINATION, PLEASE SCROLL TO THE END OF THIS LISTING FOR MORE DETAILS.

This listing is for a pair of VERY SMALL ‘kimekomi’ hina ningyo made around 50-60 years ago. Hina ningyo refers to dolls displayed during the annual hina doll festival, and kimekomi refers to fabric art using a solid base such as wood.  The process for making a doll involves several different steps.  First the artisan marks lines on the base and carves them to make grooves along the surface.  Silk is then cut and tucked into the grooves.  The fabric is then pasted into the joints.  The final part of the process involves attaching the head of the doll. The face of the doll is painted white with gofun and facial features are added using a fine tipped brush.  Hair is often made from silk thread.  The dolls in this listing were purchased from Matsuya Department Store in Kyoto, and they come with wooden storage boxes.  Please note that the boxes are unmarked and unsigned. 

Hina ningyo are ornamental dolls displayed during the annual Hina matsuri on March 3rd. This is a day to pray for young girl's growth and happiness, and most families with girls display these dolls and eat special kinds of food. The dolls are usually arranged on a five or seven-tiered stand covered with a red carpet. At the top are the Emperor and Empress. The next tier contains three court ladies, followed by the five musicians, then two imperial guards, and finally three servants ending the bottom row in a five-tiered display. The display also includes small pieces of furniture, small meal dishes, and little lanterns.

The first known kimekomi dolls were made in the 1700s by Tadashige Takahashi.  At the time Takahashi was serving at Kamigamo shrine in Kyoto, and in between jobs he would carve dolls from discarded blocks of willow.  During the Edo period kimekomi dolls were made using a resin compound containing sawdust and other matter.  They received five coats of lacquer after the initial carving process was complete.  Clothing was applied using special paste, and the edges were very carefully tucked into the grooves.

Sizes

Boxes:  H.10.9cm (4.2”) x 10.6cm (4.1”) x 9cm (3.5”)

Emperor:  H.8.5cm (3.3”) x 7.1cm (2.7”) across x 4.2cm (1.6”) from back to front

Empress:  H.7.8cm (3”) x 7cm (2.7”) across x 4.6cm (1.8”) from back to front

Condition

Boy:  Silk is slightly faded, he has messy hair, his face is good without problems.

Girl:  Messy hair, her crown is very hard to keep on, her face is good without problems.

Box boxes are discoloured.

THESE ARE SHIPPING ESTIMATES BASED ON THE CURRENT GLOBAL SITUATION                                                                 

**Germany, France, Greece, Spain, Poland, Austria, Slovakia, Lithuania, Slovenia:  NO SHIPPING.  Very strict and expensive packaging laws in place and we are not licensed to send products to these countries.  We have no plan to register at this time because the process is in some cases very expensive and complicated, plus each country has its own set of regulations and application process. 

**USA, UK, Canada, Australia, New Zealand, Switzerland, Norway: Airmail Small Packet (approx. 15-28 days).  Combined shipping available up to 2kgs for Airmail Small Packet (please send us a message).

**Asia:  Airmail Small Packet (approx. 15-21 days).  Combined shipping available up to 2kgs for Airmail Small Packet (please send us a message).

**Central Asia, Middle East, South Africa, Brazil, Mexico:  EMS Express 10-15 days.

**Russia:  No shipping methods available.