Doll in Plaid Dress Rendered by Beverly Chichester (artist), c. 1937 watercolor, gouache, pen and ink, and graphite on paper overall: 42.5 x 27.9 cm (16 3/4 x 11 in.) Original IAD Object: 18 1/2" high Index of American Design 1943.8.7814 |
Object 16 of 26
This china-headed doll has a particularly lovely costume. The dress is plaid silk taffeta; it is worn over a petticoat of tan alpaca trimmed with blue silk bands. The pantalettes are of cotton with eyelet embroidery. The doll's hairstyle makes her a collector's item; china dolls with a knot on the head are rare. This feature, however, is almost completely hidden by the silk bonnet. This doll has a cloth body and arms and feet of kid. The head is glazed porcelain. China-head dolls were first made in Europe around 1750 but did not become extremely popular until the 1840s. This doll dates from 1840-1850. Often the heads were imported to America and used on American-made dolls' bodies.
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