Doll

Object Name:

Doll

Object ID:

1966.580

Place of Origin:

France

Date:

circa 1880

Description:

French fashion doll. Bisque porcelain head. Kid hands. Cloth body. Model porcelain head, fixed blue glass eyes. Painted eyebrows and eyelashes. Painted point at inner part of eye near nose. Pink nostrils and pink, reddish lips. Also, has philtrum below nose and above lips. Slightly modeled ears. Inset wire loops at base of ear. Blondish curled hair attached to top of head. Pink bows in hair on either side. Hair bordering on shoulder-length. Velvet and felt black bucket hat. Body of hat is gray felt; black velvet bands and black velvet bow on top. Turquoise colored necklace with gold-tone colored cross. Head articulated. Porcelain face and neck and base extends down below shoulders. Head and short neck that articulates sit on additional piece of porcelain that goes down to middle level of arms. Soft body picks up after that. Cloth-covered body narrow at waist, expands at hips, and articulates front and back at hips and knees with front and back motion. Cloth elements sewn together at joints to create a cloth hinge for movement. Body of fine white cloth with unknown stuffing. Black tight-fitting coat with silk-like trim around neck, around bottom edge of coat, and two bands of red on collar around cuffs. Lace extends beyond bottom of sleeves. On right arm, small ivory-framed fan that hangs from cord around her wrist. Six ball-shaped gold-tone buttons down front of coat. Enamel-backed watch hanging from chain pinned to front of coat on left side. Chain lengths terminate in small blue ball, similar to necklace balls. Watch set at 11:45. Roman numerals on dial; spade hands; dial and hands printed; enamel floral pattern with three blossoms on bright blue background on back of watch. Red piping around collar and bottom of coat. Six globular, gold-toned polished buttons down front of coat. Bottom edge of coat goes upward slightly as it goes around hips, then goes back down to rounded point. Middle of coat tapered for thin waist. Sleeves slightly tapered. Wide cuff with two parallel red bands around it, gathered in bow-like decoration on outside edge of cuff. Bottom layer of clothing of white cloth pantaloons with embroidered fringe scalloped edge at bottom. Embroidered edge sewn to bottom edge of pantaloons. Hemmed edge between leg and decorations. Narrow sewn pleat above that. Pleat 0.2" wide. Pantaloons extend up to waist, drawn in and sewn into a horizontal band at narrow waist. Short plain white slip on top of pantaloons with hemmed bottom edge and drawn in at top through narrow waist area. Slip couple inches shorter than pantaloons. Pantaloons extend to ~3.5" above floor level. Broader and fuller white slip on top of that with three levels of embroidered fringe with scalloped edge of connected, small rings. Straight line of open filigree in fringe adjacent to scalloped edge. Whole scalloped edge ~0.5" wide. Same scalloped edge repeated twice further up bottom edge where sewn directly to slip body. Edge spacing for decorative bands ~0.8" apart. Slip edge ~3" above floor level. Long black skirt extending to slightly less than 1" above floor in front. Skirt includes train in back extending ~2" below floor level and therefore extends behind doll to certain extent. Plain black material lining in skirt, ~4" wide. Lining appears to be slightly more coarse than exterior skirt surface. 5" wide skirt elements sewn around lining with narrow red band ~0.8" above bottom edge. Wide pleat at top edge with red interior surface; pleat ~0.4" wide; it creates bit of a cuff as top edge open. Several vertical gathers and pleats around skirt to help create outward spread of skirt at front and particularly train at rear. Skirt extends to waist, held by hook and eye. Additional black-headed pin at that junction. Another skirt on top of that extending down to ~4.5" above floor level. Also tailored to have train in back where it extends down to floor level. Narrow red pleat, ~1" above bottom edge of this topmost skirt. Some gathers and sewing on back to create almost bustle-like appearance without having mechanical stuffing to hold it up under skirt. Red line on right side, elongated at pleated pockets 3" long and 1.7" wide at top, 1.3" at bottom edge. Outer skirt extends to waist area where it has eye without hook. Drawn in and sewn in same waist area to coat. Off-white woven stockings with pink decoraton near top edge. Some decorative lace-like work below cap and above top edge of boot. Brown leather boots with four globe buttons, gold-tone metal surrounded by scalloped edge and white thread holding pieces together as well as decoration. Leather-like material dark brown, shiny with regular, small textured pattern. Light tan sole and short black heels. Shoe buttons functional.

Material:

Ceramic
Textile
Leather
Velvet
Felt
Glass
Ivory

Dimensions:

H-21 W-10 D-3.5 inches

Credit Line:

New Hampshire Historical Society Collection