Ancient Egypt

Dolls are one of the oldest forms of toy in the world, alongside rattles. They can be dated back for thousands of years to the earliest human communities, whether through the expected areas of use or as part of traditional religious rituals.

Today many adults are collectors who search for vintage or antique dolls to restore and preserve. So many different types of dolls are available, ranging from the most rudimentary to the most intricate and complex, many of which can be regarded as works of art.

Over the centuries doll manufacturing has been transformed from a home-based production process to an area of large-scale mass production through industrialisation, technological progress, and the development and introduction of new materials. The rise of dolls as collectibles started in the twentieth century, with new products which derived from them also appearing on the market.

Action and vinyl figures are also inspired by dolls, currently being beloved by people all around the world, many of whom spend considerable amounts of money in order to get their favourite items.

But where were dolls first made? Which materials did people use? And what were the differences in their design when looking at the cultural space from which they originated?

Prehistoric and ancient times

The world's earliest dolls were made from materials such as wood, bone, ivory, wax, leather, and even stone. Most archaeologists agree that dolls are most likely to be the oldest toys in the world. Many of them may have been made out of perishable materials such as cloth or fur, which is why prehistoric sites very rarely contain any items which would resemble a doll.

However, several examples which belong to ancient civilisations have survived to this day, such as a Babylonian alabaster doll with movable arms. Similar articulated dolls were also present in ancient Greece and Rome, with historians regarding them as being the predecessors of modern action figures.

Wooden paddle dolls have been found in Egyptian tombs which date to the twenty-first century BC. These dolls were made out of thin pieces of wood and had thick 'hair' which used black mud beads which were threaded onto string. The doll's body was adorned with painted jewellery, tattoos, or other textile patterns.

Paddle dolls represented female singers and dancers who would perform at religious ceremonies which were held for Hathor, goddess of dance, music, love, and joy. Greek and Roman brides-to-be dedicated their toys to Artemis (or Diana) as part of a ritual which was held directly before the wedding ceremony, as the goddess was associated with girlhood.

Rag dolls would have been used as they would be relatively inexpensive to make, with Roman rag dolls being discovered which can be dated to about 300 BC. A textile doll was discovered in a tomb, having been made by people of the pre-Columbian Chancay culture which inhabited the central coast of Peru between AD 1000-1470.

Since no written records have been found from this period, the exact significance and meaning of these dolls remain unknown. They were made from wood, wearing carefully crafted garments to indicate that they were important to those who made them.

Japanese dolls

Making dolls is considered a traditional craft in Japan, with some historians believing there is continuity between dollmaking and the Dogu figurines of the Jomon period of prehistoric Japan.

The Haniwa figures appeared later, made from terracotta and buried with the deceased during the Kofun period between the third and sixth centuries AD. The Heian period in the eleventh century is regarded as the peak of imperial court progress, a time at which poetry and art flourished and matured, in essence forming Japan's notably different culture. At the peak of this period several doll types were included in Lady Murasaki's 'The Tale of Genji'.

According to that work girls would play with dolls and dollhouses while women made protective dolls both for their children and for their grandchildren. Special dolls were also used in religious ceremonies, as people believed that evil could be ritualistically transferred to an object which would then be cast into a body of water in order to achieve purification.

Okiagari-koboshi is a traditional doll type from Japan which is made with papier-mâché. It is designed so that its weight causes it to revert to an upright position even when it is knocked over. These date at least to the fourteenth century and are prized symbols of resilience, being considered good-luck charms.

Japan during the Edo period adopted the Sakoku policy which severely limited trade with other nations and meant that almost all foreign nationals were banned from setting foot in Japan.

It was at this time that fine-quality doll making was developed, as wealthy patrons were willing to spend a lot of money for stunning and intricate doll sets to display in their homes. Japan currently still holds the Hinamatsuri festival which focuses on dolls. That takes place every year on 3 March. Platforms are set up to be covered with a red cloth, later being used to display ornamental dolls which depict the emperor, empress, and court attendants of the Heian era.

Some other traditional dolls which can be found in Japan include the Daruma (spherical and red, modelled after Bodhidharma, the founder of Zen), Kokeshi (simple wooden dolls with no arms or legs, a few thin lines painted on to define the face, and floral patterns on the body), Bunraku (for the traditional Japanese puppet theatre), and Iki-ningyō (life-sized and lifelike dolls).

Traditional dolls

African dolls were used to teach and entertain, being used both for play and as part of religious rituals. There is great variety in their shapes and the clothing they wear depending upon the region they come from, with many dolls being treated as heirlooms and being handed down from mother to daughter.

The dolls are handmade and are often believed to act as supernatural intermediaries. The Akua'ba, for example, are fertility dolls which are made from wood. They are native to Ghana, being particularly associated with the Fante people.

Hopi Kachina dolls are effigies which are made by the Hopi native Americans to represent the Kachina spirit being. Anyone who is given one of the dolls is or will be responsible for the care and well-being of the doll.

Typically, young girls or new brides are part of this ritual as it is part of their instruction regarding these immortal beings which are thought to bring rain, control both society and the natural world, and act as message-bearers between the human and spirit world. They are made from cottonwood, but the native Americans also had dolls which were made from of corn husks.

Inuit dolls are made of bone or soapstone, as the materials are common in northern Canada, Greenland, and Alaska. They are typically clothed in animal furs and skins. The process of making the dolls involves learning several skills, such as cutting materials, sewing, and making the most of the materials. Their designs and the symbols with which they are adorned are significant for the culture, with people of all age demographics enjoying them.

Dolls worldwide have been common for centuries. The ways in which they were created and their significance depended upon the cultural space to which they belonged. When they are now so common and relatively easy to acquire, it is interesting to think of a time at which they were much more challenging to get, and people would most likely have had to create their own.

Images copyright © original contributors, text copyright © Mary Hall on behalf of WebRankingNow for external advertising use, reformatted and edited into article format following its expiry. An original feature for the History Files.