Dolls: A Brief History
What is a doll? The dictionary defines the word simply as a child's toy that is made to look like a human being. But to its owner, a doll can be so much more than just a toy. Dolls have been part of man's existence ever since the prehistoric times and have taken on various roles in different generations and cultures. Other than playthings, dolls have also been used to symbolize religious figures. Dolls in ancient times were generally made from clay, fur, or wood. The discovery of dolls in Egyptian graves led some to believe that these were very special possessions indeed. In ancient Greek and Roman tradition, dolls were dedicated to goddesses when their owners became too grown-up to play with them. As with the Egyptians, they were also buried with Greek and Roman children.
Most of the dolls found in these ancient graves were very simple figures often made from rags, wood, or clay, and sometimes even bone. The more unique dolls were made from ivory, and also wax, which made them a lot more lifelike than the others. This propensity for making dolls look as lifelike as possible led to the idea to create them with limbs that move. This innovation took place sometime in 600 B.C. It was also during this period that dolls with removable garments started being made.
Europe then became a major player in the doll production industry during the 16th and 17th centuries. The dolls produced during this era were mostly wooden stump dolls, of which there are less than 30 today. One of the most recognizable dolls in this period was the peg wooden doll made in Germany. This doll had peg joints and closely resembled a clothespin. In the 1800s, a mixture of pulped wood or paper began to be used as an alternative to solid wood. These mixtures were easy to mold under pressure and made it easy for manufacturers to mass produce dolls. Papier Mache became the most popular among these mixtures.
Wax dolls were growing in popularity in the 17th and 18th centuries, with Munich as the center of production. The most unique wax dolls, however, were created in England between the years 1850 and 1930. In fact, one of the very first baby dolls was a wax doll made in England at the start of the 19th century. Porcelain dolls rose in popularity during this period as well. The term porcelain is generally used to refer to both china and bisque dolls. The main difference between the two is that china is glazed whereas bisque looks more like skin.
The French doll known as "bebe", which depicts a young girl, was first made in the 1850s and became popular in the 1880s. Today, it is one of the most sought-after dolls. Rag dolls, which have been made by mothers for their little ones for several centuries, were first introduced commercially in the 1850s by both American and English manufacturers. These are among the most beloved dolls of all time. Doll-making officially became an industry in the United States in the 1860s, right after the Civil War. And right after World War II, manufacturers began experimenting with plastic as a material for making dolls.
Other materials like rubber and vinyl soon came to be used as well. Vinyl especially made an impact because it allowed doll-makers to root hair directly into a doll's head. But no matter what material is used, one thing is for sure: Dolls are an integral part of mankind's history.
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