The Maridon Museum's collections committee members, from left, Anne Miller, Cyndy Sweeney and Carole Fruehstorfer are dwarfed by the new brass sculptures acquired by the museum.

Fumino Hora’s brass sculptures “Soldiers,” part of a set of works called “Hina” in Hong Kong, are permanently now on exhibit at the Maridon Museum.

The “Hina” works were created for Hora’s solo exhibition in Hong Kong, after her prize winning exhibit at Philippe Charriol Foundation Art Competition in 2002.

These life-sized works traveled from Hong Kong to Pittsburgh in 2006 together with the artist, and were presented as gifts to the Maridon in 2011.

Hina, a Japanese word for ceremonial dolls, symbolizes Japanese Imperial households. Parents buy a set of Hina dolls when a daughter is born. The tradition began between 794 and 1185.

The dollhouse, or Hina display, consists of emperor, empress, court ladies, soldiers, musicians and shoe keepers. The dolls, wearing beautiful kimonos and living in gorgeous palaces, reflected the ideal happiness for girls in that period. The daughter took her dolls to her husband’s home. Dolls were usually handed down from generation to generation.

Soldiers in the Hina doll tradition represent clan warriors for the emperor or ministers for the government. They are not the same as samurai.

At first glance, Hora’s artworks appear to be made of silk, but the voluminous folds are all made from brass mesh with sharp edges. The artist used metal as if it were fabric — cutting it, crumbling it, folding it, gathering it, and making pleats of it.

The works are embedded with photographs from the artist’s mother’s family album that connote the loss of history, memory and traditions.

The artist was born and raised in Tokyo. She worked as an artist in Hong Kong from 1994 to 2006, and in Pittsburgh from 2006 to 2011. She has since returned to Tokyo.

Her works have been exhibited and collected in the U.S., Hong Kong and Japan.

The Maridon, at 322 N. McKean St., is open 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. Wednesdays through Saturdays.

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Call 724-282-0123 or visit www.maridon.org.