$28,000
Sold
sold
Click image to enlarge
Description
13" (33 cm.) Each with carved wooden head in distinctive shape, very refined gofun finish with painted features, narrow downcast eyes, black-accented inner lip line, she with defined "sky-brows" denoting nobility, each with wooden hands with very extended fingers, his feet peeking out in unusual sole-to-sole pose, silk fiber hair. The costumes are quite notable, their textiles highlighted by the use of gold kinran technique. He is wearing a robe with extensive kinran whose reflective qualities give an illusion of pattern, along with gold lacquered cap of state (kanmuri). She is wearing a 12-layer kimono, each layer with red silk crepe (chirimen) edging on elaborately woven brocade with kinran accents, and a gilded metal headdress with suspended glass or wooden beads to simulate jewelry. Excellent condition. The set is preserved in matching Japanese wooden boxes labeled Imperial couple (dairi-bina). Edo period, early 1700s. Known as Kyoho-style hina, the pair are extremely important in the evolution of hina, this style reflecting the artistic sensibilities of its affluent era, notable for larger size, inclusion of feet on the male, very fine textiles, and superb nuanced sculpting and painting of facial features. This pair is shown and discussed in Ningyo, The Art of the Japanese Doll, by Alan Scott Pate, page 97.