Costume doll
Category
Dolls
Date
Unknown
Materials
Rubber, Straw, Textile
Measurements
190 mm (H)
Order this imageCollection
Penrhyn Castle, Gwynedd
NT 277393
Summary
A rubber costume doll representing a person from Lesotho. The plastic head with flirting eyes, moulded hair and features. Dressed in a woven grass Basotho hat and wearing a Basotho blanket and white moulded shoes. Costume dolls representing people of different nationalities in their local dress have been made since the mid-19th century. As global travel expanded ‘world’ dolls were produced as tourist souvenirs as well as children’s toys. They appear in a variety of media, from paper to porcelain, polymer to plastic. Produced to be instantly recognisable and collectible, ‘world’ dolls can portray a stereotypical view of peoples and cultural identities.