(さんにんかんじょ)

さんにんかんじょ
noun
the three court ladies of a hina display
culture
1. the three court ladies of a hina display
The set of three ladies-in-waiting on the second tier of a 雛人形(ひなにんぎょう) display, below the imperial couple. They carry sake utensils, and the middle one is seated while the other two stand.
二段目(にだんめ)三人官女(さんにんかんじょ)です。
The second tier is the three court ladies.
三人官女(さんにんかんじょ)()(なか)だけ(すわ)っている
Only the middle one of the three court ladies is seated.
Below the imperial pair come the three court ladies, and below them the five musicians.

Always treated as one set, so the word is used in the singular even though it names three dolls.

Common collocations

Cultural note

Only larger, multi-tier displays include them; a compact modern display often stops at the imperial pair. The dolls represent the attendants who served at a Heian court wedding.