Kakemono Hina Dolls with Plum Blossoms and Vase

Finely and richly detailed, this kakemono shows a courtly pair in the style of the traditional hina dolls displayed for the Japanese girls' festival Hinamatsuri. The ruler wears a tall black headdress and a magnificent red robe, while his consort stands at his side in more restrained attire. Behind the pair, delicate branches in soft pink blossom, while to the right a large, artfully speckled vase with further flowering branches completes the composition.

This combination of courtly figure painting and flowering nature lends the scene a particularly festive, spring-like note. Hina doll motifs recall the annual festival dedicated to the health and happiness of young girls, and are among the most popular seasonal pictorial themes in Japanese painting.

For collectors of festive Japanese motifs, this kakemono, with its rich coloring, is a particularly decorative choice.