Paper Dolls - Kamibina

A pair of paper Hina dolls, a boy and a girl. They are also called Kamibina, as they have vestiges of ancient beliefs. Since the Heian period, paper dolls made from white paper have been used in purification ceremonies, and at shrines they are called Katashiro or Moribina. Toys made from white paper, with red or blue paper, can still be seen today as Moribina (Kada Awashima Shrine in Wakayama Prefecture, Aoshima Shrine in Miyazaki Prefecture) or Nagashibina (Tottori region) in the form of local toys. The Heian period also saw the development of a paper doll game called "Hina," which can also be considered as one of the origins of Kamibina. These gradually underwent changes and added techniques to become Kamibina, and in the Edo period they began to be displayed on Hinadan shelves. As they are a pair, male and female, they are also called myotobina (husband and wife dolls); the male doll (obina) is dressed in an eboshi hat and hakama with his sleeves spread out, while the female doll (mebina) is made in the shape of a noshi with her kosode folded in front. They were also called "standing dolls" as they were displayed standing on a tiered stage. The male doll's hakama and female doll's obi are made of gold paper, while the kosode are made of red or gold paper with floral patterns painted on them, and in the early Edo period, two or three pairs of these paper dolls were displayed on their own. As dairibina (chair-entrance dolls) became popular, paper dolls fell out of fashion, but they were displayed standing on tiered stages until around the Meiji period. It is believed that paper dolls such as older sister dolls were born and developed from this handmade paper craft technique.

[Ryosuke Saito]

Source: Shogakukan Encyclopedia Nipponica About Encyclopedia Nipponica Information | Legend

紙製の男女一対の雛人形。古い信仰に根ざしたおもかげをもっており、神雛ともいう。平安時代から、白紙でつくられた紙雛が祓(はらえ)行事に用いられ、神社ではこれを形代(かたしろ)または守り雛などとよんでいる。白紙をさらに赤、青色などの紙で玩具(がんぐ)化したものが、現在も守り雛（和歌山県加太淡島神社、宮崎県青島神社）あるいは流し雛（鳥取地方）として郷土玩具の形でみられる。また平安時代に「ひいな」とよぶ紙製の人形遊びがあったことも、紙雛の源流にあげられる。これらがしだいに変化と技法を加えられて紙雛となり、江戸時代に入ると雛段に飾られるようになった。男女一対なので夫婦雛(みょうとびな)ともよばれ、男雛(おびな)は烏帽子(えぼし)に袴(はかま)姿で袖(そで)を広げ、女雛(めびな)は小袖を前にあわせた熨斗(のし)形につくられている。雛段に立てて飾ったので「立ち雛」ともいった。男雛の袴、女雛の帯は金紙、小袖は赤い紙や金紙に花模様などを描いたもので、江戸初期にはこの紙雛だけを2、3対飾った。内裏雛が流行してくると紙雛は衰えたが、明治のころまでは雛段に立てて飾った。この紙細工の手作り技法から、姉様などの紙人形も生まれて発達したものと思われる。

［斎藤良輔］

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