Hina Matsuri – Doll’s Festival of Girl’s Day – Compendium of Dolls and Accessories, Japanese, circa 1900.
A boxed collection of seated dolls representing the emperor, empress, attendants, and musicians in traditional court dress of the Heian period, intended for annual display with an array of lacquerware furniture and furnishings, and additional items of wood, metal, and other materials. The present lot includes 15 seated dolls (Height 4 in.), a silvered paper and black lacquered wood six-fold screen (8 ½ in. x 25 ¾ in.), approximately 40 articles of lacquerware, and another ten or so accoutrements of various materials. Together with original black lacquered wood presentation box, 7 ½ in. x 13 ½ in. x 13 in.

Note: Every year on March 3rd, Japan celebrates the Doll Festival (Japanese, Hina Matsuri). Until recently, Girls’ Day was also celebrated on March 3rd. On this day every year, families set up a special step-altar on which to arrange their emperor and empress dolls, called “hina” in Japanese. In addition to dolls, these altars display many beautiful and luxurious decorative accessories. Doll sets from Tokyo have many chests, shelves and other furnishings to display with the dolls. This kind of lavish exhibit is a Tokyo tradition that has been handed down since the Edo period. Source: Kyoto National Museum