Japanese Girls Day Dolls Display

Traditional Japanese Girls Day Dolls are quite something to be hold. They are also only on display for a very short time, then get packed away in the smallest space possible. This is where we take a different approach to anyone else with an article on these dolls. All this being done with the design skills you expect of NASA, and with the beauty you expect of real crafts men.

Last Updated: March 4 2007

Display Base

The base is a hinged arrangement of panels that unfold like the solor array of a satellite, and must have had as much thought devoted to the design. The base comes in 2 cartons. The dolls in another 3 cartoons. It is all designed to go back into the cartons again.

There are 4 bolts and wing nuts that hold the crossed supports in place in the back, but everything else just slides together. Black laquer, polished wood and red felt set off the areas that are most visible.

The front and internal braces use hinge components to make a lock together structure..

Each step a folding panel that also has the front edge of the step. This front step has notches, that grip the main base side panels, stopping lateral movement.

The result is surprisingly light and ridged. The completeted unit is 1.05m wide and 1.41m tall. This unit is large by Tokyo standards, but was bought in a town near Hamamatsu, Shizuoka prefecture, and wasn't the largest available.

Completed Display

Click to view larger image of completed display.

The finish of everything is superb. And as each face of every doll is unique, even from another set from the same producer, each set is an original.

Click to view larger image of completed display.

This high quality uniqueness is a technological marvel in our world of mass production. In Japan, most people can not display such a piece, they just do not have the room, even if they do have the room to store one!

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