Doll
- Place of origin:
England, Great Britain (made)
- Date:
1770-1785 (made)
ca. 1800 (made)
ca. 1800 (made)
1770-1785 (made)
1770-1785 (made)
1770-1785 (made)
1770-1800 (made)
1770-1785 (made)
1770-1785 (made)
1770-1785 (made)
1770-1820 (made)
1770-1820 (made)
1770-1785 (made)
1770-1800 (made)
- Artist/Maker:
- Materials and Techniques:
[Doll] Wood with a gessoed head, neck and chest, painted, varnished, glass, canvas, cotten and mohair
[Dress] Linen
- Credit Line:
Given by Miss E M Woodcock
- Museum number:
- Gallery location:
- Download image
At this date there was little or no attempt to create lifelike representation in dolls. Details such as the age, occupation, status or even gender of the doll would be suggested by its clothing. This doll has the standard baluster-shaped body with a flattened back favoured by English dollmakers of the period, flat wooden arms, and wedge-shaped feet. Most of these features would have been invisible because the doll would normally be clothed. Her body shape would have suited contemporary female fashions but could also adapt to other garments. Some of the garments which survive with the doll are for women or girls, such as stays, petticoats, a pocket and a comb, but in about 1800 she was re-dressed with a different identity. Her outer garments are all loose fitting, and the simple dress of white linen is open all the way down the back, an indicator of clothing for a baby or young child.
Physical description
[Doll] Jointed wooden doll representing a caucasian female. The doll's head, neck and chest are gessoed, painted a cream colour and varnished, with inset black glass eyes and dotted brown eyebrows and eyelashes; her cheeks are painted pink and her lips red. Her wig is of brown mohair on a black fabric canvas base which is glued to her head over black paint. Her lower arms are made of almost flat lengths of cream-painted wood carved into fingers at the outer end; the upper arms are of white fabric fastened to the body, the true right with a white cotton tape, the true left with white threads. Her legs are jointed at the thigh and knee, and were originally gessoed. She wears non-removable stockings of white cotton with a self stripe in the weave, and her feet are covered with black fabric to indicate shoes.
[Dress] Long high-waisted dress of unlined white linen, with a rounded neck, and short sleeves with a horizontal tuck above the hem. The garment is open the length of the back, denoting clothing for a baby or very young child, and fastens with drawstrings at the neck and waist.
[Cape] Shoulder cape of unlined white linen frilled at the neck, with tying strings of pale blue ribbon.
[Petticoat] Waist petticoat of écru cotton pleated into a self fabric waistband, with a horizontal tuck taken in the skirt just above the hem. The garment fastens with a pair of cotton tying tapes.
[Pocket] Shaped pocket of écru cotton with a self stripe in the weave, and tying strings of white cotton tape.
[Handkerchief] Rectangular handkerchief of white linen with a hand stitched hem.
[Comb] Tall tortoiseshell comb with six tines.
[Petticoat] Waist petticoat of écru cotton pleated into a self fabric waistband and fastening with a pair of cotton tying tapes.
[Chemise] Long flared sleeveless chemise of white linen, the rounded neck with a drawstring fastening at the front.
[Chemise] Short flared chemise of white linen, the rounded neck with drawstrings at front and back; the elbow-length sleeves gusseted beneath the arms.
[Stay bodice] Stay bodice of white cotton with a self stripe in the weave, the shoulder straps of white cotton tape. The garment fastens at the back with a drawstring at the neck and a pair of tying strings of white cotton tape.
[Chemise] Short sleeveless chemise, of white cotton with a self stripe in the weave, largely open at the back. The garment has a drawstring neck which fastens at the back.
[Cap (headgear)] Cap of unlined white cotton, with three drawstrings across the top of the head and an additional drawstring each at the forehead and neck; the fullness of the cap is gathered into a wide crown at the back. The cap is trimmed with a lace adging throughout, and a bow of pale blue ribbon at the top.
[Bonnet] Cabriolet bonnet of écru muslin figured in blue and white, the wired brim lined with ice green ribbed silk, and the gathered crown reinforced with paper. The bonnet fastens beneath the chin with tying strings of pale blue ribbon.
Place of Origin
England, Great Britain (made)
Date
1770-1785 (made)
ca. 1800 (made)
ca. 1800 (made)
1770-1785 (made)
1770-1785 (made)
1770-1785 (made)
1770-1800 (made)
1770-1785 (made)
1770-1785 (made)
1770-1785 (made)
1770-1820 (made)
1770-1820 (made)
1770-1785 (made)
1770-1800 (made)
Artist/maker
Unknown (production)
Materials and Techniques
[Doll] Wood with a gessoed head, neck and chest, painted, varnished, glass, canvas, cotten and mohair
[Dress] Linen
Dimensions
[Doll] Height: 49.3 cm
[Dress] Length: 42.5 cm centre back
[Cape] Length: 6.5 cm centre back below neck piece
[Petticoat] Length: 34.5 cm centre back
[Pocket] Length: 10.6 cm centre
[Handkerchief] Height: 10.2 cm, Width: 12.2 cm
[Comb] Height: 3.6 cm
[Petticoat] Length: 21.5 cm centre back
[Chemise] Length: 36 cm centre back
[Chemise] Length: 22 cm centre back
[Stay bodice] Length: 5 cm centre back
[Chemise] Length: 19 cm centre back
[Cap (headgear)] Circumference: 17.5 cm inside front edge
[Bonnet] Circumference: 23.5 cm inside front of brim
Descriptive line
Jointed wooden female doll, dressed as a young child, made in England, 1770-85
Categories
Children & Childhood; Dolls & Toys
Production Type
[Doll] Mass produced
Collection code
MoC
