Doll's Chair
1690-1700 (made)
| Artist/Maker | |
| Place of origin |
Object Type
This miniature chair was made for the Lady Clapham doll, and is in a style typical of the period 1690-1700. The companion doll Lord Clapham sits on a similar chair. Miniature chairs of this date are extremely rare. The proportions of the chair are slightly different from full-sized chairs, and not quite to scale with the dolls, because the dolls' feet do not touch the ground.
Design & Designing
These chairs follow a similar design to the full-sized ones of the period. The caning in the seats and the cross-pattern incised in the upper surface of the seat frame are, however, the same size as on normal chairs. Caned chairs normally had seat or 'squab' cushions to protect the caning, but none are associated with these chairs. The dolls slide off easily and sit better on the chairs with padding beneath them, suggesting that there might originally have been squabs.
Materials & Making
The chairs were evidently made by a professional chair-maker as the construction methods and all the details are correct. The carving and the turning on the uprights and stretchers are good quality.
This miniature chair was made for the Lady Clapham doll, and is in a style typical of the period 1690-1700. The companion doll Lord Clapham sits on a similar chair. Miniature chairs of this date are extremely rare. The proportions of the chair are slightly different from full-sized chairs, and not quite to scale with the dolls, because the dolls' feet do not touch the ground.
Design & Designing
These chairs follow a similar design to the full-sized ones of the period. The caning in the seats and the cross-pattern incised in the upper surface of the seat frame are, however, the same size as on normal chairs. Caned chairs normally had seat or 'squab' cushions to protect the caning, but none are associated with these chairs. The dolls slide off easily and sit better on the chairs with padding beneath them, suggesting that there might originally have been squabs.
Materials & Making
The chairs were evidently made by a professional chair-maker as the construction methods and all the details are correct. The carving and the turning on the uprights and stretchers are good quality.
Object details
| Categories | |
| Object type | |
| Materials and techniques | Turned and incised beech with cane and wicker |
| Brief description | Doll's wooden chair, London, 1690-1700 |
| Physical description | Doll's miniature chair made from turned and incised beech and cane wood with a wicker centre back and seat. |
| Dimensions |
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| Gallery label |
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| Credit line | Purchased by public subscription |
| Object history | The doll is thought to have belonged to the Cockerell family, descendants of Samuel Pepys. The daughter of Pepys' nephew John Jackson(son of his sister, Pauline) married a Cockerell. The doll and its partner were named 'Lord' and 'Lady' of the family home in Clapham. Historical significance: The doll and its partner are costume documents; their clothes being, in style, cut and material, perfect miniatures of the fashions of the late 17th century. Their importance is underlined by the almost total lack of other good visual source material for this period, whether pictorial or in the form of surviving garments. In particular the survival of accessories and the informal garments is extremely rare. |
| Historical context | Dolls were widely produced in the 17th century, although very few survive. It is most unlikely that these particular examples were the playthings of children. Their production is of a high quality; almost all the accessories survive and there is little wear and tear on the dolls and their garments. The dolls were most probably purchased for the amusement of adults, and as a decorative accessory to a home. |
| Summary | Object Type This miniature chair was made for the Lady Clapham doll, and is in a style typical of the period 1690-1700. The companion doll Lord Clapham sits on a similar chair. Miniature chairs of this date are extremely rare. The proportions of the chair are slightly different from full-sized chairs, and not quite to scale with the dolls, because the dolls' feet do not touch the ground. Design & Designing These chairs follow a similar design to the full-sized ones of the period. The caning in the seats and the cross-pattern incised in the upper surface of the seat frame are, however, the same size as on normal chairs. Caned chairs normally had seat or 'squab' cushions to protect the caning, but none are associated with these chairs. The dolls slide off easily and sit better on the chairs with padding beneath them, suggesting that there might originally have been squabs. Materials & Making The chairs were evidently made by a professional chair-maker as the construction methods and all the details are correct. The carving and the turning on the uprights and stretchers are good quality. |
| Associated object | T.847-1974 (Object) |
| Bibliographic reference | Hillier, Mary, Pollock's Dictionary of English Dolls, London: Robert Hale Ltd., 1982, 51, 202pp. ill |
| Collection | |
| Accession number | T.846Y-1974 |
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| Record created | August 7, 2003 |
| Record URL |
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