Hina Matsuri dolls

Since mid-February, in many public places in Japan you will see Hina Matsuri displays, pyramidal stands with two to dozens of dolls made specially for this celebration. The Hina Matsuri festival takes place on the 3rd day of the 3rd month (today), and its origins are around 400 years ago, at the beginning of the Edo period.

Today, there's an amazing variety of Hina Matsuri dolls. Photographed here is a beautifully stylized set of dolls made of clay: on the top row, the Emperor is holding a ritual baton (shaku) and the Empress is holding a fan. On teh second row, there are three court ladies, and on the lower row are five musicians.