Bunka era (1804–1818) Donated by Saitō Shōji
Sculpted with fine realism, these dolls represent the Six Immortal Poets: Sōjō Henjō, Ariwara no Narihira, Bun’ya no Yasuhide, Kisen Hōshi, Ono no Komachi and Ōtomo no Kuronushi. They were a group of poets from the mid-ninth century, named by their contemporary author Ki no Tsurayuki as notable poets of their generation. The art of poetry was the height of sophistication and culture during the Heian period (794–1185), so those who had a particular talent for poetry could expect social immortality.
These dolls are highly typical of the Edo style, in that they have been liberally designed without any specific references to their historical features or characteristics.