Also known as katashiro (or katajiro) or nademono, they were made into human form with materials such as paper, wood, grass, leaves or straw and were used to transfer one's impurity to hitokata by rubbing them against the affected area, whereby getting rid of their impurity which was the origin of the custom of nagashi bina (floating hina dolls).
形代（かたしろ、かたじろ）、撫物（なでもの）とも言い、紙や木材・草葉・藁などで人の形に作られ、それにより患部等を撫でることによって自分の穢れをこれに移しつけて祓うのに使われるもので、流し雛の風習はこれを元としている。