Folk Dolls
Folk dolls are a product of folk art, which can be described as “objects…that connote some form of individual expression; they should also represent the shared aesthetic traditions of a community or geographic area, and those of a specific ethnic, religious, or family group” (Mac Gregor). Folk dolls are handmade, and many people who make them do it for the enjoyment from the process of making them. This individualistic nature of the creation of folk dolls makes the dolls valuable sources of information about the maker’s economic and cultural traditions.
Folk dolls have been used as a way to memorialize people or cultures by using old clothing. “Folk dolls turned into an emotional symbol, steeped with meaning. Textiles…become mementos that store biographical traces and experiences of people. By reworking the traditional textile as doll’s dresses these memories are preserved in a three-dimensional manner. The national dolls are reflections – simulacra – of the once worn traditional costumes, and therefore of the person, who had worn them” (Schmidt).
The maker’s environment in which they live is often reflected in the folk dolls they make. Based upon the materials used to create the doll, one can usually determine if the maker lived in a more rural or urban area, and what their economic status may have been. For example, if a folk doll has a china head, that likely means that it came from a store and the maker had some disposable income. Or, if apples or corn husks are used for a folk doll, the maker likely comes from a rural environment.
The handmade nature of folk dolls makes them appealing to certain kinds of doll collectors, especially those who want to have a diverse array of cultures present in their collection or are looking for a one-of-a-kind souvenir from their travels.
This doll depicts elements of Hungarian folk costume with the floral headdress, apron, and skirt. Folk dress varies in each of the communities in Hungary, but this doll’s costume is unique and incomparable to other regions and festive dress. The creator of the doll most likely modeled and hand-constructed the doll after one specific person, which would explain its unique appearance. This could also mean the doll was intended for tourists to acquire some exclusivity from the souvenirs.
This marionette doll was produced in the Czech Republic, purchased in Prague in the late 1990s and brought to America. The wooden body pieces are all hand carved. Each piece of clothing as well as armor made of copper and brass and sword made of corrugated steel is cut and nailed to the wood with simple tools.
For over two hundred years puppetry became a national tradition for the Czech people, with the most popular play in the Prague National Marionette Theater being Don Giovanni.
Made to resemble a Turkic warrior, this puppet could have been voiced by a baritone singer in an epic opera, or something more comedic for adults and children alike. Being simpler, with only four points of articulation for movement, and more crudely carved and painted than contemporary professional theater puppets, it was more likely used in smaller comedic roles or even sold to tourists.
This doll is the representation of a Polish Highlander or Górale, in the ethnicity’s native
language. The group lives in the highlands from the Ostrawica Valley in today's Czech Republic to Poland's Biały Czeremosz Valley and is known for sheep herding in the high mountain ranges of the region. In the light-colored long-sleeved shirt, white pants, black vest, and black full brimmed hat this doll appears dressed for the Mieszanie Owiec or Mixing of the Sheep. This event takes place in the spring and represents the Górale’s sheep leaving their villages and returning to the open pastures of the higher mountains. A feather in the full brimmed hat usually means a man is unmarried, so sorry this doll is taken.
Souvenir dolls like this one are often made in traditional styles and sold to tourists to promote a country and culture. Entirely handmade, this doll stands 7.5 inches tall and is dressed in a national costume of Latvia, possibly from the Selija region in the southeast part of the country. Her body is made of cloth, and she wears a white linen shirt with lace collar and a gold circular brooch at her neck. Her red wool woven skirt striped with blue, black, and white. A matching belt and headdress complete her look and are woven in white, red, and blue with cross patterns. The attached tag reads in Latvian "Tatviesu Tautas Lietiskas Makslas Biedriba" ["Latvian Folk Art Society"]. This doll is a great example of the traditional dress and weaving techniques that are still celebrated and practiced today.
Pair of Polish Costume Folk Dolls. The costumes are traditional to the Gorals highlands of southern Poland. The distinctive floral ornamentation on the man’s trousers is representative of the Podhale region. Both dolls have hands outstretched as if about to begin a dance. Lack of markings indicates handmade origin. Production date likely early 1990s.
This is a handmade doll, created with materials appearing to be mid-20th century, possibly the 1950s or 1960s. She has a clear connection to West African culture. The maker of the doll was familiar with the style of dress that women in West Africa wore and still wear today. This mamma doll is especially sweet with a small baby in a matching headscarf tucked against her back. Carrying a baby on one’s back, secured with a pagne (a length of hemmed cloth wrapped around the body) that matches the mother’s skirt is a common Pan African practice throughout history and today. She carries a small handmade bag that reflects the handmade bags used by women to carry market goods home or by schoolchildren to carry books. It is unknown whether the doll was made in West Africa, or if it was a doll made in representation of that region.