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Another consideration of a peg wooden doll comes from a history of clothespin doll. If you look at the shape of the older ones, with the ball head or the flattened style you can see the makings of a doll. By combining a few clothespins, some wire for joints and finding some old large beads, one could make an inexpensive Penny wooden. Our clothespin doll class will explore versions later. Many peg wooden dolls, peg wooden or the more elaborate styles of the 1700s and forward were actually used as Milliners models, Tailors models or life models. These would be packed in cases of seamstresses to show their stitching, plus whatever designs they happened to have worked on or are willing to work on. Much like a dimensional catalog. If one could remove and redress dolls easily one could pack scaled down versions of fashion. Many seamstresses would stay for months while being in the " service" of a customer, only to pack up once the gowns were down and go to the next place, often using the scraps of materials and new design techniques they come up with during a visit of employ. These dolls and their uses are Barbie's very ancestors. Why just look at the costumes, fashions she has and how that correlates to what you could wear. While she is what we consider idyllic, the doll of back then though representative of wig, beauty mark and fashion were the only important thing, and not the doll shape itself. Hence so many variations on the hinged legs. The Germans however took the time, to become craftsman at creating details that accentuated the fashion, such as busts, nipples, shoe details, curved bottoms, bust definitions and so on. So Barbie slowly came to life If you look at the Clothespin dolls and the basic shape of the small image of a true antique 18th cecntury peg wooden you will see similarities between those and the early greek Ivory doll. The similarities between long tapered legs, simple hinged arms and hips is unmistakeable. Though we may think of our dolls today as new and innovative, we simply look back and see that its just a tradition carried down. |
| All images copyright their original owners. Used for educational purposes only. All other information, original patterns, instructions and instructional photographs copyright Julia Sherman, Jimmy Talley and Margo. 2005-2006 |
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| ClothesPin Dolls and Barbie is begun |
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