Costume doll
Category
Dolls
Date
circa 1950 - circa 1976
Materials
Plastic doll
Measurements
180 mm (height)
Order this imageCollection
Sudbury Hall Museum of Childhood, Derbyshire
NT 658910
Summary
A mid-20th century national costume doll (also known as souvenir, world costume, tourist and foreign travel dolls) made to resemble an Arab man from West Asia or North Africa. The doll has a plastic head and body with plastic limbs. He has moulded and painted facial details, with a black beard made from artificial hair. He wears a white cotton turban, white cotton trousers, over which is a blue and white cotton robe with long sleeves and a hood. Over this he wears a brown fabric kaftan gathered at the waist and has a large hood at the back. He wears a red belt holding a gold scimitar.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.
Provenance
One doll from a collection of costume dolls donated by Mr R.T. Macfarlane in 1976.