Not currently on display at the V&A

Costume Doll

ca. 1867 (made)
Place of origin

Costume doll representing a Maratha woman. Unidentified armature and stuffing covered in cotton cloth. Dressed in a sari of magenta silk with brocaded floral medallion in silver-gilt-wrapped thread, trimmed with ribbon of metal-wrapped thread and silk, draped in Maratha style (between the legs and tucked in at the back). Bodice of silver strip and silk fabric with brocaded designs in silver-gilt-wrapped thread and gota collar. Hair of faded black cotton (no braid), with hair ornament of seed pearls across the hairline. Embroidered eyes, eyebrows, tilak and mouth. Applied glass ornament on forehead, large nose ring of gold-coloured wire with seed pearls and red glass bead, hoop earrings in both ears with seed pearls and green glass beads, a gold-coloured ornament with floral design through top of left ear (missing from right), bracelets of black fabric and crimped metal strip on both hands, and rings on both hands of coiled metal with glass beads in the centre. Remnants of adhesive on right arm indicating a missing armband. Fingers and toes tipped with red fabric.


Object details

Categories
Object type
Materials and techniques
Brief description
Costume doll representing a Maratha woman, Varanasi, Uttar Pradesh, c.1867; Textiles; Dolls
Physical description
Costume doll representing a Maratha woman. Unidentified armature and stuffing covered in cotton cloth. Dressed in a sari of magenta silk with brocaded floral medallion in silver-gilt-wrapped thread, trimmed with ribbon of metal-wrapped thread and silk, draped in Maratha style (between the legs and tucked in at the back). Bodice of silver strip and silk fabric with brocaded designs in silver-gilt-wrapped thread and gota collar. Hair of faded black cotton (no braid), with hair ornament of seed pearls across the hairline. Embroidered eyes, eyebrows, tilak and mouth. Applied glass ornament on forehead, large nose ring of gold-coloured wire with seed pearls and red glass bead, hoop earrings in both ears with seed pearls and green glass beads, a gold-coloured ornament with floral design through top of left ear (missing from right), bracelets of black fabric and crimped metal strip on both hands, and rings on both hands of coiled metal with glass beads in the centre. Remnants of adhesive on right arm indicating a missing armband. Fingers and toes tipped with red fabric.
Dimensions
  • Height: 29cm
  • Width: 15cm (of doll alone)
Object history
Transferred from the India Museum in 1879. Slip book entry 5853: 'Dressed doll / Benares, Bengal / Price Rs 10 / 1867 / Original nos 4283 / Costume of a Mahratta woman'
Associated objects
Other number
5853 - India Museum Slip Book
Collection
Accession number
6866(IS)

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Record createdJune 25, 2009
Record URL
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