Edo's "luxury shops" - The tiny Hina dolls of Shichisawaya and Musashiya

During the latter half of the Edo period, when the Doll's Festival was at its height, tiny Hina dolls decorated with intricate lacquer work came into the spotlight.

Among them, "Nanasawaya" in Ikenohata, Ueno and "Musashiya" in Nakamise, Asakusa were famous for being stores dealing in high-class toys, and were known as "luxurious stores." The unique Hina dolls of each store, such as Nanasawaya's lacquerware featuring arabesque patterns on peony flowers in the shape of the character "大" (large), and Musashiya's picturesque designs and delicate construction, captivated people's hearts, and won numerous awards at domestic and international exhibitions during the Meiji period.

This exhibition will display the Yumiko Kawauchi Collection, known as the country's largest collection of extremely small Hina dolls accessories, as well as a complete set of Hina dolls decorations from the Tanaka family, also known as "Tenka no Itohira," a raw silk merchant from the end of the Edo period and the Meiji period, all of which are owned by the Nagano Prefectural Museum of History, and will introduce the world of Hina dolls accessories from Nanasawaya and Musashi-ya, which can be said to be the pinnacle of Edo craftsmanship.