Not currently on display at the V&A

Costume Doll

ca. 1867 (made)
Place of origin

Costume doll representing a Punjabi woman. Unidentified armature and stuffing covered in cotton cloth. Long-sleeved and high-collared tunic (kurta) of woven silk and silver metal strip with brocaded silver-gilt flowers, trimmed with crimped metal strip, gota and striped silk in three shades of pink, dark purple, blue and turquoise with metal strip. Trousers (paijama) of magenta silk with brocaded flowers in yellow and black floss silk and metal-wrapped thread. Drawstring (ezarband) of four strands of metal-wrapped thread with gota tassels. Shoes of yellow velvet with black soles trimmed with metal-strip. Embroidered eyes, eyebrows and mouth. Nose ring of glass bead and metal coil. Missing forehead ornament. Black cotton fabric hair edged with crimped metal-strip, coiled in a bun at the back, with a gota tassel. A row of seed pearls stitched along hairline. Left ear has a small gold-coloured metal ornament at top of ear, and a large pendant earring with hanging metal and glass beads inserted through ear lobe. Bracelets of metal strip on black cotton fabric on both arms. Adhesive on both hands with two remaining rings on the left hand. Fingers tipped in red cotton.


Object details

Categories
Object type
Materials and techniques
Brief description
Costume doll representing a Punjabi woman, Varanasi, Uttar Pradesh, c.1867; Dolls; Textiles
Physical description
Costume doll representing a Punjabi woman. Unidentified armature and stuffing covered in cotton cloth. Long-sleeved and high-collared tunic (kurta) of woven silk and silver metal strip with brocaded silver-gilt flowers, trimmed with crimped metal strip, gota and striped silk in three shades of pink, dark purple, blue and turquoise with metal strip. Trousers (paijama) of magenta silk with brocaded flowers in yellow and black floss silk and metal-wrapped thread. Drawstring (ezarband) of four strands of metal-wrapped thread with gota tassels. Shoes of yellow velvet with black soles trimmed with metal-strip. Embroidered eyes, eyebrows and mouth. Nose ring of glass bead and metal coil. Missing forehead ornament. Black cotton fabric hair edged with crimped metal-strip, coiled in a bun at the back, with a gota tassel. A row of seed pearls stitched along hairline. Left ear has a small gold-coloured metal ornament at top of ear, and a large pendant earring with hanging metal and glass beads inserted through ear lobe. Bracelets of metal strip on black cotton fabric on both arms. Adhesive on both hands with two remaining rings on the left hand. Fingers tipped in red cotton.
Dimensions
  • Height: 31cm
  • Width: 15cm
Object history
Transferred from the India Museum in 1879. Slip book entry 5844: 'Doll, dressed / Benares, Bengal / Price Rs. 10 / 1867 / Original nos. 4267 / dressed in costume of native lady of Punjab'
Associated objects
Other number
5844 - India Museum Slip Book
Collection
Accession number
6876(IS)

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Record createdJune 25, 2009
Record URL
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