Cloth boudoir doll dressed as a fashionable woman of the period; made in France, ca.1925

Boudoir doll representing a fashionably dressed Caucasian woman. The doll has a head and shoulders of flocked buckram with moulded and painted facial features (brown eyes, black eyelashes and eyebrows, and red cupid's bow lips) and a wig of pale blonde floss silk rolled into clusters over each ear. The body is of cream satinised cotton with foldable joints at the shoulders, elbows and knees; the thumbs are separately represented, with the fingers indicated by stitching.
Clothes: ivory-coloured tarlatan camiknickers with lace edging and pink ribbon straps; ivory-coloured silk jersey stockings with garters of pale pink ribbon; pleated skirt of cream coloured twill on a matching tarlatan bodice; tunic of ivory-coloured silk jersey with turn down collar, wrist length sleeves and matching tie, trimmed with dark cream braid; cream-coloured sleeveless jacket trimmed with dark cream braid, and dark pink felt embroidered in beige silk; pink felt belt with mock clasp of gilt metal; T-bar shoes of ivory-coloured calico; faux pearl necklace trimmed with diamanté.

given by Mrs James Leahy

This boudoir doll was not made as a plaything for a child, but as a fashionable accessory for a woman's bedroom. They were particularly popular between 1915 and the 1930s, and were also known as flapper dolls, French dolls and bed dolls. Many of the commercially produced ones were made in France, and their clothing was often beautifully designed and made: historic costume, fancy dress and portraits of film stars and other celebrities of the day were favourite themes.

MISC.43-1971