Worldwide

Dolls are one of the oldest kinds of toys in the world, alongside rattles, dating back thousands of years to the times of the earliest humans. Apart from this traditional and well-known use, dolls have also been used as part of traditional religious rituals throughout the world. Many adults nowadays are collectors who search for vintage or even antique dolls to restore and preserve them. There are so many different types of dolls out there, ranging from the most rudimentary to the most intricate and complex, which can be regarded as works of art.

Over the centuries, industrialization, technological progress, and the development and introduction of new materials have changed doll manufacturing from something everyone would do for themselves to large-scale mass production. The rise of dolls as collectibles started in the 20th century, with new products derived from them appearing on the market as well. Action and vinyl figures, such as the ones from Funko in the UK and Europe, are inspired by dolls as well, and they are currently loved by people from all over the world, many of whom spend considerable amounts of money in order to get their favourite items.

But where were dolls first made? What materials did people use? And what were the differences in their design depending on the cultural space they belonged to?

Prehistoric and ancient times

The earliest dolls in the world were made from materials such as stone, 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 hold items resembling dolls. However, several examples belonging to ancient civilizations have survived to this day, such as a Babylonian alabaster doll with movable arms. Similar articulated dolls were present in ancient Greece and Rome as well, with historians regarding them as the predecessors of modern action figures.

Wooden paddle dolls have been found in Egyptian tombs dating back to the 21st century BCE. These dolls were made out of thin pieces of wood and had thick “hair” made out of black mud beads placed on strings. The body of the doll was adorned with painted jewelry, tattoos, or other textile patterns. The paddle dolls represented female singers and dancers who would perform at religious ceremonies held for Hathor, the goddess of dance, music, love, and joy. Greek and Roman girls who were about to be married dedicated their toys to Artemis (or Diana) as part of a ritual right before the ceremony was about to take place, as the goddess was associated with girlhood.

Rag dolls would have been used as well, as they'd be relatively inexpensive to make, with Roman rag dolls dating back to 300 BC being discovered. A textile doll belonging to the pre-Hispanic Chancay culture, which inhabited the central coast of Peru between 1000 and 1470 CE, was discovered in a tomb. Since no written records from this period have been found, the exact significance and meaning of these dolls remain unknown. The dolls were made out of wood and wore garments that were carefully crafted, indicating that they were important to those who had made them.

Japanese dolls

Making dolls is considered a traditional craft in Japan, with some historians believing there's continuity between dollmaking and the Dogu figurines of the Jomon period of prehistoric Japan. Later, the Haniwa figures appeared, made out of terracotta and buried with the deceased during the Kofun between the 3rd and 6th centuries AD. During the peak of the Heian period in the 11th century, an era that was regarded as the peak of the imperial court and a time when poetry and art flourished and matured, essentially creating Japan's individual culture, several doll types were included in Lady Murasaki's “The Tale of Genji.”

According to the work, girls would have and play with dolls and dollhouses while women made protective dolls for both their children and their grandchildren. Special dolls were used in religious ceremonies as well, as people believed that evil could be ritualistically transferred to an object that would then be cast into a body of water in order to achieve purification. Okiagari-koboshi are a type of traditional doll from Japan made out of papier-mâché. It is designed as a roly-poly toy, meaning that its weight would cause it to go back to an upright position even if it were knocked over. They date back to at least the 14th century and are prized as symbols of resilience, being considered good-luck charms.

During the Edo period, Japan adopted the Sakoku policy, which severely limited trade with other nations and meant that almost all foreign nationals were essentially banned from setting foot in Japan. It was at this time that fine 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. Currently, Japan still holds a festival focused on dolls known as Hinamatsuri that takes place every year on March 3rd. Platforms are set up and covered with a red cloth, being later used to display ornamental dolls depicting the emperor, empress, and court attendants of the Heian era.

Some of the other traditional dolls that 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 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 for both play and as part of religious rituals. There is great variety in their shapes and the clothing they wear depending on 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 often believed to act as supernatural intermediaries. The Akua'ba, for example, are fertility dolls made of wood that are native to Ghana, being particularly associated with the Fante people.

Hopi Kachina dolls are effigies made by the Hopi Native Americans to represent the Kachina spirit being. Those who are given the dolls are 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 that 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 out of cottonwood, but the Native Americans also had dolls made out 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. Making the dolls involves learning several different skills, such as cutting materials, sewing, and making the most of the materials. Their designs and the symbols they're adorned with are significant for the culture as well, with people of all age demographics enjoying them.

Dolls have been common for centuries all over the world. The ways in which they were created and their significance depended on the cultural space they belonged to. Nowadays, when they're so common and relatively easy to acquire, it is interesting to think of a time when they were much more challenging to get, and you'd most likely have had to sew your own.

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