<div style=\"text-align:center\"><img border=\"0\"><br><table style=\"text-decoration:none\" target=\"_blank\"><img height=\"27px\" valign=\"middle\" align=\"center\"><font face=\"arial\" size=\"2\"><b><a border=\"0\"><br><a target=\"_blank\"><img ANTIQUE HINA FIGURES: Emperor and Empress,c.1910, Meiji Period,Large Size, 13\" Tall

Theseare two beautiful antique Japanese Hina Figures representingthe Emperor and his Empress. The previous owner said that her grandmother had brought them home from Kyoto in the 1920\'s and that they had remained in their boxes ever since. They are unusually large figures; the Empress with her headdress is 13 inches tall.

These Figuresare part of a set of similar figures which would have been arranged together as part of the celebration of the Japanese Doll Festival,Hina-matsuri,orGirls Day,which is held on March 3. The old tradition was to set up platforms with a red carpet to display a set of ornamental dolls (hina-ningyo) representing theEmperor, Empress, attendants, and musicians in traditional court dress.

Our figures represent the most important \"people\" in this traditional display: the Emperor and his Empress. They both wearelegant royal, multi-layer kimonos and other garmentsmade of rich silks and brocades. Their faces and hands are carved from cryptomeria wood and are finished with a layer ofgofun(crushed oyster shell) in the tradition of Japanese dolls from the Edo Period. Their costumesand hairstyles suggest thattheyare dressed asheads of the Imperial Household from the Heian Period (794-1185).

The Empress wears a Junihitoe Kimono, (twelve-layer robe) an extremely elegant and complex kimono worn only by ladies of the imperial court.

I have seen many such pairs and have a number in my own collection, but I have never seen such a complete and perfect headdress as this Empress wears. It is a most magnificent ornament.

These figures are unusually large and substantial. The Emperor is 10 inches tall and 13 inches wide. The Empress, with her elaborate crown, is 13 inches tall and 10 inches wide; They are both in very good condition fortheir 104 or so years of life,mainly because they have been kept in close and safe storage for most of that time. There is some very slight wear to the Empress\' kimono,but both of their faces are in nearly pristine condition with most affecting expressions.

The photos give an excellent idea of the beauty and finesse of these wonderfulexamples oftraditional Japanese Art.

If you should have any questions, please don\'t hesitate to contact me. And thanks for looking.

Due to limitations of photography and the inevitable differences in monitor settings, the color of the pictures on your monitor may be slightly different from the statue itself, but I did my best to capture it as it is. And, at least on my monitor, the color is a perfect match. The stand is not part of this sale.

Payment

Winning buyers: please pay for your item within three days ofthis sale\'s close.

Foreign Buyers: please request an invoice with actual shipping costs before paying.

I am more than happy to offer reduced shipping costs or combined shipping if a buyer wins more than one sale within a week, even if the items cannot be shipped together.

Terms of Sale

Itry to do my very best in researching the itemsI sell, and include numerous photos. If you have any questions concerning a particular item, please contact me.

Items are sold as described in both words and pictures. Returns accepted only for inadvertent misrepresentation.

I aman artist/painter and a life-long antiques collector and dealer. I absolutely guarantee that every item isas described in my words and pictures. If you shouldhave any questions at all, please contact me, and I will respond as quickly as possible.

Buyer satisfaction is of paramount importance to me.If you have any questions at all about an item you have purchased from me,I will do everything possible to answer your concerns or rectify any inadvertent error. Please contact me before leaving neutral or negative response. I strive to keep a 100% customer satisfaction rate and will do whatever it takes to ensure that all buyers are happy with their purchases. response is very important to me. I always leave excellent response for buyers and I try to do whatever I can so that buyers will be happy to do the same for me.

If you like what you see here, please add meto your saved sellers list. I will have similaritems for your consideration nearly every week. And Thanks for looking.

I would be more than happy to answer any question you might have.

On Nov-26-14 at 19:40:32 PST, seller added the following information:

The faces and hands of thesefiguresare carved from wood and coated with gofun, an emulsion of calcium carbonate powder obtained by heating and pulverizing theshells of oysters and clams,whichwasfirstused in the Muromachi Period and firstused on figureslikethese in the Edo Period to produce a smoothcomplexion.
The inset eyes are glass.