Not currently on display at the V&A

Costume Doll

ca. 1867 (made)
Place of origin

Costume doll representing a man from Gujarat. Unidentifed armature and stuffing covered in cotton fabric. Dressed in a white cotton dhoti with dark purple and silver-gilt wrapped thread borders. Robe (angarkha) of green felted wool trimmed with crimped metal strip and gota. Waist sash of magenta silk with brocaded floral medallions in metal-wrapped thread and trimmed with gota, tied around waist and thrown back over shoulders. Turban of wrapped white cotton with metal-wrapped thread ends, covering slightly protruding hair of black cotton thread. Face embroidered with eyes, eyebrows, tilak, moustache and mouth. Remains of adhesive on ears and hands implying missing jewellery. Red velvet sword edged with crimped metal strip held in left hand, with gota hilt and hanging tassels (now detached). Fingers and toes tipped with red fabric.


Object details

Categories
Object type
Materials and techniques
Brief description
Costume doll representing a Gujarati man, Varanasi, Uttar Pradesh, c.1867; Textiles; Dolls
Physical description
Costume doll representing a man from Gujarat. Unidentifed armature and stuffing covered in cotton fabric. Dressed in a white cotton dhoti with dark purple and silver-gilt wrapped thread borders. Robe (angarkha) of green felted wool trimmed with crimped metal strip and gota. Waist sash of magenta silk with brocaded floral medallions in metal-wrapped thread and trimmed with gota, tied around waist and thrown back over shoulders. Turban of wrapped white cotton with metal-wrapped thread ends, covering slightly protruding hair of black cotton thread. Face embroidered with eyes, eyebrows, tilak, moustache and mouth. Remains of adhesive on ears and hands implying missing jewellery. Red velvet sword edged with crimped metal strip held in left hand, with gota hilt and hanging tassels (now detached). Fingers and toes tipped with red fabric.
Dimensions
  • Height: 33cm
  • Width: 16cm
Object history
Transferred from India Museum in 1879. Slip book entry 5846: 'Dressed Doll/Benares, Bengal Price Rs 7/1867/Original no.4268/costume of native of Guzerat, male.'
Associated objects
Other number
5846 - India Museum Slip Book
Collection
Accession number
6859(IS)

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Record createdJune 25, 2009
Record URL
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