Costume doll
Category
Dolls
Date
circa 1970 - circa 1976
Materials
Plastic doll
Measurements
205 mm (height)
Order this imageCollection
Sudbury Hall Museum of Childhood, Derbyshire
NT 658915
Summary
A national costume doll (also known as souvenir, world costume, tourist and foreign travel dolls) representing a priest, probably of the Orthodox Church (possibly early 1970s). The doll made of plastic with moulded and painted facial features and a voluminous cottonwool beard. The doll wears a black cylindrical hat, a black full-length cotton robe with a gold braid ornamented with purple Maltese crosses, beige fabric gloves, white stockings and black painted shoes. The doll carries a metal bound book in front of his waist. 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.