Not currently on display at the V&A

Costume Doll

ca. 1867 (made)
Place of origin

Costume doll representing a woman from Bengal. Unidentified armature and stuffing covered in cotton fabric. Dressed in a sari of magenta silk with silver-gilt-wrapped brocaded butis and silver gota edging, and a blouse of yellow silk and silver-gilt strip with red silk brocading. Blouse colour of silver-gilt gota. Face of embroidered eyes, eyebrows, tilak mark and mouth. Hair of applied black fabric edged with metal strip. Small nose ring of two seed pearls and a glass bead. Gold-coloured metal earrings with green glass and seed pearl pendants. Remains of adhesive on forehead, neck, left arm and both hands indicating missing jewellery. Bracelets of black fabric and crimped silver strip on both wrists. Silver gota water pot carried in crook of left arm. Fingers and toes tipped with red fabric.


Object details

Categories
Object type
Materials and techniques
Brief description
Costume doll representing a woman of Bengal, Varanasi, Uttar Pradesh, c.1867; Dolls; Textiles
Physical description
Costume doll representing a woman from Bengal. Unidentified armature and stuffing covered in cotton fabric. Dressed in a sari of magenta silk with silver-gilt-wrapped brocaded butis and silver gota edging, and a blouse of yellow silk and silver-gilt strip with red silk brocading. Blouse colour of silver-gilt gota. Face of embroidered eyes, eyebrows, tilak mark and mouth. Hair of applied black fabric edged with metal strip. Small nose ring of two seed pearls and a glass bead. Gold-coloured metal earrings with green glass and seed pearl pendants. Remains of adhesive on forehead, neck, left arm and both hands indicating missing jewellery. Bracelets of black fabric and crimped silver strip on both wrists. Silver gota water pot carried in crook of left arm. Fingers and toes tipped with red fabric.
Dimensions
  • Height: 27 cmcm (of doll alone)
  • Width: 14cm (of doll alone)
Marks and inscriptions
'Female / Costume of a Native of / Bengal / Rs: 9 / -' (Paper label pinned to back of doll)
Object history
Transferred from the India Museum in 1879. 'Dressed Doll / Benares, Bengal / Rs. 9 / 1867 / Original nos. 4277 / costume of a woman of Bengal.'
Associated objects
Other number
5856 - India Museum Slip Book
Collection
Accession number
6869(IS)

About this object record

Explore the Collections contains over a million catalogue records, and over half a million images. It is a working database that includes information compiled over the life of the museum. Some of our records may contain offensive and discriminatory language, or reflect outdated ideas, practice and analysis. We are committed to addressing these issues, and to review and update our records accordingly.

You can write to us to suggest improvements to the record.

Suggest feedback

Record createdJune 25, 2009
Record URL
Download as: JSONIIIF Manifest