Dolls Gone By: A Miniature Japanese Palace

My obsession with Japanese hina dolls began in 2014, on a trip up the coast for work-related training. I stopped at an antique mall in Newport on my way back home, and that was where I first discovered the world of hinamatsuri. There was a small pink box of tiny, black laquered doll furniture. I thought it was Japanese dollhouse furniture, which, it sort of was. There was only one word hand-written on the lid of the box: "hina-matsuri."

I bought the box of furniture, and when I got home I promptly researched my purchase on the internet. That's when I learned about Girl's Day in Japan, and how these miniatures were meant to be displayed. I also learned about hina goten, which are like little palace room-boxes for displaying the furniture and ningyos (dolls). It wasn't long before I had aquired my first goten...

I experimented with displaying the goten as well as several Japanese dolls, but these were not really hina dolls. True hina dolls tend to be smaller (though they come in different scales) and are dressed like Heian nobles. As I began taking more of an interest in Japanese culture, specifically as it relates to dolls and dollhouses, I noted the differing styles of kimono from different historical periods. The two dolls in the photo above are wearing more modern styles, and don't really fit with the gotten. That is when I began formulating the idea that I wanted to build a Heian Mansion Dollhouse, for hina dolls, and a Japanese dollhouse, for the types of dolls shown above.

I didn't lose interest in collecting goten though...and I've acquired a few more since 2014. The colorful display below represents my entire collection to date. Not all the dolls are the same scale. The shinden, or main building (center) is missing one of its roofs. Although these are more symbolic of a Heian palace, they do show some interesting architectural detail that I plan to borrow from when I eventually build my Heian palace. The characteristic latticed wooden shutters, the pier and post foundation, the railings, the roofs...these are details I plan to model from when I create my own.

Although not truly historically accurate, they make for an enchanting vignette...I placed a painted screen in the background to complete the effect. It would be better if it was of a landscape rather than flowers, but it still adds to the impression of a tiny, enclosed world.