Dolls
The Museum has an extraordinary and varied collection of over 8,000 dolls, ranging from the earliest, a wooden paddle doll dating from 1,300BC, to the most contemporary, a punk doll from the Bratz Boyz 2005 range. The dolls represent men, women, and children from all around the world and many fantasy and fairytale characters. They are also made from a wide range of materials - from traditional materials such as wood, cloth, ceramic, wax and plastic to more unusual ones like dried fruit, mutton bones and hair.
Wooden Dolls
This doll is known in the Museum as the 'Old Pretender', as it was believed that she had once belonged to the court of King James II at Holyroodhouse in Edinburgh (the original Old Pretender was James Stuart, son of King James II).
Wax Dolls
By the beginning of the 19th century wax had become the most popular material for professional doll makers. It was favoured due to its warm, gleaming and lucid qualities - perfect for making dolls and moulding realistic facial features.
Rag Dolls
Rag dolls have been around for centuries. They were hand-made by mothers for their small children, often very simple in design and made using various materials found around the home. Without exception, every culture across the world has their own variation.
Ceramic Dolls
The Museum's doll collection has many dolls made from bisque. Bisque was first introduced as a material for making dolls in the 1830s. It is a type of unglazed ceramic that was used to make their heads and limbs - the dolls' bodies and limbs were made from more hardy materials, such as moulded composition (a wood-pulp mixture) or stuffed cloth.
Plastic Dolls
Doll manufacturers started using celluloid in the 1860s. However, the drawbacks of using celluloid to make dolls were that it faded if exposed to bright light, it could be easily crushed and it was highly flammable. By the 1950s plastic was invented and materials such as vinyl became more popular.
