Not currently on display at the V&A

Costume Doll

ca. 1867 (made)
Place of origin

Costume doll representing the wife of a man of the writer caste from Varanasi. Unidentified armature and stuffing covered in cotton fabric. Dressed in a red cotton sari with silver gota edging and fringe and a large shawl with stripes of yellow silk and red cotton, edged with silver gota. Face with embroidered eyes, eyebrows and mouth, hair of black cotton fabric edged with metal strip. Large nose ring of gold-coloured wire with seed pearls and glass beads, and gold- coloured earrings with floral pendants with seed pearls and glass beads. Red cotton fabric and crimped silver strip on both wrists representing bracelets. Fingers and toes tipped with red fabric.


Object details

Categories
Object type
Materials and techniques
Brief description
Costume doll representing the wife of a man of the writer caste of Varanasi, Varanasi, Uttar Pradesh, c.1867; Dolls; Textiles
Physical description
Costume doll representing the wife of a man of the writer caste from Varanasi. Unidentified armature and stuffing covered in cotton fabric. Dressed in a red cotton sari with silver gota edging and fringe and a large shawl with stripes of yellow silk and red cotton, edged with silver gota. Face with embroidered eyes, eyebrows and mouth, hair of black cotton fabric edged with metal strip. Large nose ring of gold-coloured wire with seed pearls and glass beads, and gold- coloured earrings with floral pendants with seed pearls and glass beads. Red cotton fabric and crimped silver strip on both wrists representing bracelets. Fingers and toes tipped with red fabric.
Dimensions
  • Height: 29cm
  • Width: 14cm (of doll alone)
Object history
Transferred from the India Museum in 1879. Slip number believed to be 5854: 'Dressed doll / Benares, Bengal / Price Rs. 10 / 1867 / original nos. 4282 / costume of the wife of a native of Writer Caste of Benares'.
Associated objects
Other number
5854 - India Museum Slip Book
Collection
Accession number
6867(IS)

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Record createdJune 25, 2009
Record URL
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