Not currently on display at the V&A

Sarah Jane

Dutch Doll
1880s (made)
Artist/Maker
Place of origin

Carved wooden doll jointed at shoulders, elbows, hips and knees. The jointing is all done with wooden pegs and pins. The head and body are carved from a single piece of wood. The body is rounded at the upper front and flat at the back and lower front. The lower parts of all the limbs are painted white and squared off at the ends. The feet are pink. The head and shoulders are painted cream with different colours for the facial features. There is a black hair cap with grey bits on the forehead. The eyes are blue and the mouth a dotted red line. The eyebrows are grey lines and the nose protrudes. There is a hole in the top of the head.
The doll wears a simple sleeveless blue cotton dress with white stars. This is glued to the right leg and right arm end. It is fastened to the back upper body with a pin.


Object details

Object type
TitleSarah Jane (popular title)
Materials and techniques
Carved and painted wood
Brief description
Wooden Dutch doll probably made in Germany in the 1880s
Physical description
Carved wooden doll jointed at shoulders, elbows, hips and knees. The jointing is all done with wooden pegs and pins. The head and body are carved from a single piece of wood. The body is rounded at the upper front and flat at the back and lower front. The lower parts of all the limbs are painted white and squared off at the ends. The feet are pink. The head and shoulders are painted cream with different colours for the facial features. There is a black hair cap with grey bits on the forehead. The eyes are blue and the mouth a dotted red line. The eyebrows are grey lines and the nose protrudes. There is a hole in the top of the head.
The doll wears a simple sleeveless blue cotton dress with white stars. This is glued to the right leg and right arm end. It is fastened to the back upper body with a pin.
Dimensions
  • Height: 26cm
Production typeMass produced
Object history
Historical significance: Original doll named Sarah Jane, one of the two Dutch dolls featured in the book The Adventures of Two Dutch Dolls illustrated by Florence Upton (who owned the dolls) with verse narrative by her mother Bertha.
Production
Reason For Production: Retail
Collection
Accession number
B.495-1997

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Record createdApril 5, 2002
Record URL
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