olls are hard to document. We’re absolutely sure that children used them, but extant examples are hard to come by, just like other toys. Also, “doll” isn’t a period term, “poppet” is, and “baby” seems to have been used, as 
well, and “mawmet” and “tocke”.
Little people made dolls of pebble and bits of wood, bundles of rags or even a corncob (as in Little House in the Big Woods, Laura Ingalls Wilder) Dolls get played hard and loved and destroyed….. That being said, there are a few out there and some in paintings (especially late period, such as this <<<< of Arabella Stuart) and a lot in inventories and descriptions.
Here’s a good basic article on Wikipedia: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Doll
So House Capuchin has been working on making some while Anja pursues her research.
Peg and Stump Dolls – …are found occasionally. Originally carved from bits of branch or kindling, or fired in a solid piece of clay, the modern equivalent is the “Peg Doll” of the sort starting with the 2nd gallery. The 3rd gallery is ideas for making our own.
The period inspirations
There’s a short article on this page: http://dollmusem.blogspot.com/2012/02/bartholomew-babies-and-17th-century.html
The ones we’re making
The sets of “families”
Elizabethan Ladies
Modern Inspirations for “Perioid” peg dolls
Rag Dolls/Rag Babies – These *way* predate period and other than kids pretending the rocks or sticks were “babies”, probably are the earliest of the dolls.
…and an extant rag doll from the Roman era 1st-5th cent. CE http://www.britishmuseum.org/explore/highlights/highlight_objects/gr/r/rag_doll.aspx
…and some instructions from a modern recreationist who does *beautiful* ones for largesse all the time! http://www.thepassingstranger.com/Tutorial_Dolls_00.htm
…and another from her newest stuff where she found a link to a Coptic tunic made for a doll. http://www.metmuseum.org/collection/the-collection-online/search/444106?img=0
Jointed Dolls – Multi-piece toys date back a long way, too. Toys with wheels seem to date right to the first use of the wheel, although that’s only a guess. Jointed dolls….well, the examples are from closer in time, but how far back? We don’t know. Solid pieces exist like the peg dolls, but were they toys or “religious objects”? We don’t really know, but there are examples of both solid and jointed toys that pre-date SCA period.
This is a beautiful jointed doll from the 2nd century CE and made of bone. This is *not* a simple toy! I have to say I keep thinking it’s an antique Barbie doll. 🙂 Look at the feet! I found the pic here: http://www.christies.com/lotfinder/ancient-art-antiquities/a-roman-bone-articulated-doll-circa-late-5673384-details.aspx?from=salesummary&intObjectID=5673384&sid=4947af72-953a-4049-b20c-6c535982cd08
There’s a Flicker picture of a similar doll here from Museo Nazionale Romano. https://www.flickr.com/photos/dandiffendale/2235898026/in/set-72157627493918152
…and Peter Crossman’s toy picture with a lovely jointed doll. He does a lot of period things from extant examples for museums! http://www.crossmancrafts.co.uk/?s=toy or you can go to his gallery page and scroll down.
A cropped bit of that picture. Very pixelated, but….
…and another design of his, which seems to be made in the shape of a Bartholomew Baby. This is a work in progress as of this fall, so I’m guessing there will be more soon.
In ministerio autem Somnium! Anja, graeca doctrina servus to House Capuchin
Page Created & published 12/16/14 (C)M. Bartlett
Last updated 2/24/15
