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Male doll in traditional red and gold costume.
The doll is used as a centerpiece Emperor doll or obina for the Hina-matsuri festival. It is displayed on platforms covered with red material alongside an Empress doll (mebina). Court ladies, accompanying ministers, and attendants are displayed alongside them. Hina-matsuri, also called dolls day or girl’s day is a religious holiday celebrated on the 3rd March every year in Japan. The dolls are supposed to protect little girls from bad spirits.
These objects are only a part of our collections, of which there are more than 350,000 objects. This information comes from our collections database. Some of this is incomplete and there may be errors. This part of the website is also still under construction, so there may be some fields repeated or incorrectly formatted information.
The database retains language taken from historical documents to help research. Please note that some records may feature language and reflect systems of thinking that are outdated and offensive. The database also includes information on objects that are considered secret or sacred by some communities.
If you have any further information about objects in our collections, can suggest corrections to our information or if you see content requiring immediate action, please contact us: enquiry@horniman.ac.uk
