Japanese Hinamatsuri Girls' Day 7-Step Hina Ningyou Handmade Doll Set

Description

I have cut the asking price by half and included free shipping to allow you to purchase this special gift for the holidays or for the upcoming Girl's Day.
Traditional 7-Step Japanese Doll Set, called Hina Ningyou. In Japan, March 3 is Girls' Day, or Hina Matsuri. Girls set these dolls up for the festival with their mothers (and sometimes fathers) to bring good fortune to the daughters, and to cleanse the house of negativity for the coming year. It is also sometimes called the peach blossom festival, as peaches are blooming then...peach blossoms also are believed to cleanse negativity and create a purified space.
Includes 15 exquisite, hand-crafted dolls in an elaborate set that sells for -30,000 new. Special, well-known artisans make these dolls and their accoutrements. The tradition is passed down from generation to generation. I have seen individual dolls sell for 0 each in the U.S., but I have never seen a 7-step set here. These dolls were my host sister's, in 1970, when she turned 3. They are in excellent condition, with just two minor tears in the back of one gold screen. Dowry furniture is lacquerware with drawers that open. Steps not included.
Caroline Kennedy played with one of these sets as a girl, and displays them in her residence in Tokyo. When she became Ambassador to Japan, she located and wrote a thank-you letter to the woman who gave them to her father, President John F. Kennedy.
The dolls are even more beautiful in person, with metallic copper-colored hand stitching in the kimonos. More info on Girls’ Day and Hina Matsuri dolls is available on Wikipedia. Just go to Wikipedia and look up “hinamatsuri.”  Also, if you google Judy Shoaf at the University of Florida, you will find pages of information on hina ningyou (hina matsuri dolls).
Master dollmakers learn the skills of making the heads, the bodies, the lacquerware furniture, and the plants and animals. Different sets of skills go into making each piece. To clarify, these are porcelain heads with glass inset eyes and special "skin" construction--not plastic with painted features, as are many of the dolls for sale here. One other source is nippon dot com slash en slash features (search for "hinamatsuri").
If you don't have room for them, you may consider donating the set to a Japanese cultural center for annual display. They are said to bring good fortune when handled with love and care.
Insured UPS delivery via ground or freight in the U.S. is estimated up to ,200, to the most expensive zip code. I am most concerned with getting the dolls to you with the most careful handling, at a reasonable cost. Because of the size of the packages, shipping is estimated to take 7-10 days to most places, longer to other places, like Hawaii. I will cover delivery costs, and may have the items hand delivered, depending on location. Will be able to ship M-F.
Many more pictures of this doll set are available online, with all of the items available for view. Check out flickr dot com slash photos slash mermaidlounge and click on "Albums." There are other mermaid lounges on flickr, so make sure you get to the one with this Japanese Doll Set. I hope you will enjoy setting these up as much as my Mom and I did.