Wax shoulder-head doll
Category
Dolls
Date
circa 1860
Materials
Wax shoulder-head doll, glass, leather, paper, textiles
Measurements
410 mm (height of doll)
Place of origin
France
Order this imageCollection
Sudbury Hall Museum of Childhood, Derbyshire
NT 659724
Summary
An English poured-wax shoulder-head doll with her 'original' box (circa 1850, see notes). Moulded nose, painted lips and nostrils, inset blue glass eyes. Real brown curly hair. The shoulder-head has rivets to strengthen the holes which allow it to be sewn onto the stuffed cloth body. Wax lower arms, hands, lower legs and feet. Wearing a faded purple fabric short sleeved dress with cream lace trim at neck, cuffs and hem. Cream cotton outer petticoat with 3 pin tucks; cream flannel inner petticoat; cream cotton drawers, with 2 pin tucks and trimmed with lace. Cream machine knitted socks and black leather shoes edged with pink, and decorated with a pink ribbon rosette. The doll lies inside a rectangular cardboard box with a damaged lid. The box and its lid (not original to the doll) are trimmed with green paper. There is a printed paper lid in the centre of the lid showing dolls, or ladies and a coin showing Napoleon III. The box and its lid are damaged. Total number of items is three
Marks and inscriptions
Sole of shoe: A Label on lid of box: EXPOSITION UNIVERSELLE, PARIS, 1856/ FABRIQUE DE POUPEES/ UNE POUPEE HABILLEE/ PARIS/ TROUSSEAUX EXPORTATION