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National Gallery of Art - THE COLLECTION
image of Doll in Blue Dress
Doll in Blue Dress
Rendered by Lillian Causey (artist), 1935/1942
watercolor and graphite on paperboard
overall: 58.4 x 50.7 cm (23 x 19 15/16 in.) Original IAD Object: 21" high
Index of American Design
1943.8.7734
From the Tour: Dolls from the Index of American Design
Object 23 of 26

Wax dolls have been made from very early times -- by the ancient Romans, for example, on through the first quarter of the twentieth century. This wax doll was probably made in England, which was noted for its wax dolls in the last half of the nineteenth century. This doll dates from the 1870s, and her elaborate costume is typical of the period. The dress is of blue taffeta trimmed with white organdy lace. The doll's childlike face and hairstyle might seem better suited to a child's body, but the true child doll was not yet common. Not until the 1880s was there a change from predominantly adult dolls to dolls representing children and babies. Many collectors still prefer dolls with features of a child but dressed as an adult.

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