Peddler Doll This is one of My Favorite Dolls in my collection she is a reproduction China Head Doll. I purchased this doll in 2000 at a Doll and Teddy Bear Show in Washington, DC. The artist who created her name is Annie. I have a small collection of China Head dolls two which are Antique. The History of China Head Dolls.
China head dolls were made by various companies from 1840-1940. The vast majority of china dolls were made in Germany. China head dolls are usually found on a wood, cloth or a kid body and some have partial limbs of china too. May have molded hair or have a wig over a solid bald dome. Their sizes range from a tiny 3" to a big and heavy 40" tall.
Many of the china head dolls are unmarked, or may have a mold number; it can be impossible to pinpoint the manufacturer, so most dolls are described and identified by their hairstyles. As hairstyles changed the dolls reflected this and changed too.
The Peddler Doll
The few dolls of the eighteenth century which may still be found are either of wood or wax mostly wood. Of these the peddler dolls are the most interesting. In the eighteenth century, women traveled about the countryside as packpeddlers did a generation ago in this country selling needles, pins, and other small articles. These women were called Notion Nannies, and were familiar figures in English country districts.
The peddler dolls commemorate a social custom. They are of carved wood and usually carry a basket containing numerous miniature articles. Such a doll, from the collection of the Victoria and Albert Museum appears as a frontispiece. Some of these old peddler dolls have found their way to America. Mrs. DeWitt Clinton Cohen of New York has a wonderful collection of them, one of which has 125 articles on the tray. The author owns one that was found for her in northern England during World War II. It dates from 1780 and had been bought by an antique dealer at a farm auction in Nottinghamshire.
Summary ...I guess what I love so much about China Head dolls are, The size, costumes, and accessories. Dolls can be a teacher of history.
Until next time
Peace and Blessings
Cheryl...Snatch JOY~
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