A vintage shikishi card features a minimalist yet elegant chigiri-e (hand-torn paper collage) depiction of traditional Hina Ningyō (雛人形), or Hina dolls, which are central to Japan’s Hinamatsuri, or Girls’ Day Festival, celebrated on March 3rd.
The two figures on this card represent the Emperor (Odairi-sama) and Empress (Ohina-sama), dressed in beautifully colored layers of formal Heian-era court attire. The Emperor wears a vivid blue kimono with a traditional black eboshi hat, while the Empress is adorned in a multicolored kimono, each paper element carefully layered to evoke the elegant silhouette and color symbolism of the festival dolls.
Rendered in soft textures and geometric forms, the figures are both modern and timeless, blending the warmth of handcrafted paper with traditional iconography. Below the figures, flowing cursive script in hiragana poetic note "Each one holds kindness, Each one carries a wish, Each one contains a dream." Hina dolls are believed to protect girls from bad luck and are displayed with wishes for their health, happiness, and growth. This shikishi card captures not only the visual beauty of the dolls but also the heartfelt hopes that they represent.
