Passed
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Description
20" (51 cm.) An exuberant dairi-bina (imperial couple), each with head carved of wood and covered in a fine gofun with painted details including blackened teeth and okymayu skybrows, and human hair. The o-bina (lord) is depicted in a dramatic tatewaku (undulating line) pattern robe with twelve-lobed chrysanthemum bursts, paneled front apron with a stylized dragon design, gold lacquered paper kanmuri cap and sword; and the me-bina (lady) in an arresting junihitoe (twelve-layered) robe with long chirimen silk crepe sleeves covering the hands and bearing a robust rabbits jumping over waves pattern and elaborate metal and beaded crown with a mirror front and chintamani sacred jewel at top; each seated atop a double wide dais with tatami mat center and banded silk edging. There is some wear to silk crepe sleeves. Edo Period, 19th century. Published Japanese Dolls: The Fascinating World of Ningyo, p.73. Machi-bina or "town hina" is an umbrella term used to describe hina styles that were not made, typically, in either Kyoto or Edo and which generally reflect strong, idiosyncratic elements and features. The image of white rabbits jumping over waves is taken from the ancient tale of Inaba no Shiro Usagi (the white rabbit from Inaba) that used backs of sharks/crocodiles to travel over the ocean waves to get from the mainland to an island. Rabbits and waves became a popular decorative motif in nearly every media.