Not currently on display at the V&A

Costume Doll

c.1867 (made)
Place of origin

Costume doll representing a Punjabi man. Unidentified armature wrapped in string and covered in cotton cloth. Dressed in paijama of orange silk with yellow ikat zigzag pattern. Tunic (kurta) of magenta silk with brocaded scrolling floral design in metal-wrapped thread, trimmed with folded gota and ribbon of metal strips and silk with green silk stripes. Turban of yellow silk embellished with crimped metal strip and gota, over hair of black cotton threads. Face with embroidered eyes, eyebrows, tilak, mustache and mouth. One remaining metal ear ornament on left ear, remnants of adhesive on both ears indicating lost ornaments. Two large gold-coloured hoop earrings with seed pearls and green glass beads. Holding a flower of gota with central sequin and glass bead in right habd. Fingers and toes tipped with red fabric.


Object details

Categories
Object type
Materials and techniques
Brief description
Costume doll representing a Punjabi man, Varanasi, Uttar Pradesh, c.1867; Textiles; Dolls
Physical description
Costume doll representing a Punjabi man. Unidentified armature wrapped in string and covered in cotton cloth. Dressed in paijama of orange silk with yellow ikat zigzag pattern. Tunic (kurta) of magenta silk with brocaded scrolling floral design in metal-wrapped thread, trimmed with folded gota and ribbon of metal strips and silk with green silk stripes. Turban of yellow silk embellished with crimped metal strip and gota, over hair of black cotton threads. Face with embroidered eyes, eyebrows, tilak, mustache and mouth. One remaining metal ear ornament on left ear, remnants of adhesive on both ears indicating lost ornaments. Two large gold-coloured hoop earrings with seed pearls and green glass beads. Holding a flower of gota with central sequin and glass bead in right habd. Fingers and toes tipped with red fabric.
Dimensions
  • Height: 32cm
  • Width: 19cm
Object history
Transferred from the India Museum in 1879. Slip book entry 5862: 'Dressed doll / Benares, Bengal / Rs. 10 / 1867 / original nos. 4285 / costume of a native gentleman of Punjab'. Part of a set of costume dolls acquired by the India Museum in 1867, but unrelated to the Punjabi woman (6876 (IS)).
Associated objects
Other number
5862 - India Museum Slip Book
Collection
Accession number
6874(IS)

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Record createdJune 25, 2009
Record URL
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