Dolls have historically represent companionship, protection, and local traditions to the children worldwide. By studying the dolls of a culture, one can better understand the culture itself. In India and most of Asia carved dolls often represented Hindu deities and myths to assure that religious and cultural beliefs that were passed down through generations. In China the art of dance has existed for over 4000 years, serving important ritual and ceremonial roles and were performed at the imperial court until the Qing dynasty. Dolls often portray the performers who wore colorful shiny clothes traditionally made of silk and had elaborate make-up but now are made of less costly fabric. We have 4 dancer dolls in our collection.
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This antique hardwood local female deity from a provincial area in South India represents a Devi, a positive spirit and fertility deity. Hand crafted as a child’s toy, it was intentionally crudely carved without much detail or reality, created to entertain and instill pride in the local community’s heritage and religion. It has a shiny patina from natural hand oil from being handled a century or so.
This delightful doll mounted on a frosted acrylic stand is dressed as a bearded official wearing a traditional ‘spread-wing” official’s hat. Originally mounted on a wood stick seen under his attire, he wears a dark blue and gold robe with a loose black, red and silver official’s belt and boots. Although dressed as a Chinese official, he is clearly an entertainer. He holds a set of paper clappers – Kuaiban – meaning “fast boards,” a two-millennia old Chinese castanets-like instrument made of bamboo or other wood slats tied together with rope which entertainers rattle, shake or clap together to produce a complementary sound or beat. This piece is in excellent condition with expected signs of wear and use in the clothing and minor paint losses.
The four dancer dolls we offer are a charming collection.
Originally mounted on the wood stick now inserted into its acrylic stand, this vintage elegantly dressed female doll is a dancer in ceremonial dress holding her elongated finely defined hands in front of her chest. Her wood head is beautifully painted and her black hair is intricately coiffed in a bun, a ponytail down her back and with two upstanding ovals decorated with sequins, cloth and plastic florals. She wears a long beige flowing dress with a contrasting yellow jacket, belt and sash that hangs down to the base inset with five pedal sequin flowers symbolizing a plum blossom.
Originally mounted on the wood stick now inserted into its acrylic stand, this vintage, stately, elegantly dressed female folk art doll is a dancer in ceremonial dress holding her elongated finely defined hands in front of her chest. Her wood head is beautifully painted and her black hair is intricately coiffed in a bun and ponytail down her back and adorned with two upward standing ovals decorated with sequins, cloth and plastic florals. She wears a long flowing beige dress with a contrasting yellow jacket, belt and sash hanging down to the base with five pedaled green flower plum blossoms, inset sequins, highlighted and outlined with silver thread and bright red shoes.
Originally mounted on the wood stick between his legs and now inserted to its acrylic stand, this vintage male doll is an attendant offering a huge peach. His large oval head is almost bald and his black hair remains only in a small patches on each side of his head. He wears a typical folk art and dance costume: bright red shoes, yellow pants, a greenish-blue coat with florals, a high sequined yellow belt and a wide blue sash outlined with silver and gold thread and colored 5-petal silver sequin plum blossoms hanging down to the base. It is in very good condition with expected wear and minor paint losses and charming spotting on the face. Parts of the clothing may have been replaced in the past.
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