Doll
A
doll is a usually small (though, can be any size) toy for children, often having the likeness of a human and more often that not - a baby. But as well as human, dolls can be of an animal, or even of a fictional creature (eg.
troll, or a
smurf). Dolls can be made out of almost any material, but both cloth and plastic are popular in doll-making.
Dolls are often intended as
toys for
children (usually
girls) but other uses of dolls include as a keepsake or collectible item for any age, namely older children to adults. However, dolls are also used because of their
cultural significance, possibly for use in a ceremony or ritual, or even as a physical representation of a
deity, these uses of course go along with a simpler, a doll is another way for decoration. As time has gone on, it's become more important for dolls to be as lifelike as possible, and these dolls can be used for professional use, (see
anatomically correct doll), or as sex toys (see
sex doll).
Dolls have been around for far longer than most would think,
archaeological evidence placing dolls as foremost candidate for oldest known
toy, having been found in
Egyptian tombs which date to as early as
2000 BC. In Egypt, as well as Greece and Rome, it was common to find them in the graves of children, these were mainly made from wood, however, among the wealthier families, pottery dolls were also found.
Many suggest that dolls were around even before 2000 BC, going further back to prehistoric times, and were probably made from materials such as clay, mud, fur, wood, etc.
Dolls are typically made of the following materials.
*
Bisque*
Bisqueloid*
Celluloid *
Clay*
Cloth (see also
rag doll)
*
Composition*
Corn husks*
Paper*
Plastic* Polymer-Clay
*
Porcelain*
Resin*
Rubber*
Vinyl*
Wax*
WoodA large model made of a hard material is called a
statue. A doll or animal model of soft material is also called a
plush toy or
plushie.
Toy Dolls
|
Russian Doll in traditional costume ("Russisches Mosaik"). |
*
Action figures**
Action Man or Action Woman*
American Girl*
Ball-jointed doll**
Super Dollfie**
Dollfie*
Barbie and
Ken*
Betsy Wetsy*
Blythe*
Bobblehead doll*
Bratz*
Cabbage Patch Kids*
Celebrity doll**
Britney Spears Doll**
Christina Aguilera Doll**
Spice Girls Dolls**
Madonna Doll*
Chatty Cathy*
Cindy Smart*
Dollikins (also called Action Girl)
*
Gigi*
Jumeau Dolls*
Kewpie doll*
Paper Doll*
Pinocchio*
Raggedy Ann and
Andy*
Société Française de Fabrication de Bébés et Jouets*
Strawberry Shortcake*
Teddy bear*
Tiny Tears*
Troll doll*
Waldorf Doll*
Ugly dollOther dolls
*
Anatomically correct doll*
Sex doll*
Autopsy Babies*
Kachina dolls
*
Matryoshka doll
*
Voodoo doll*
Worry dolls
*
Cartoon Dolls* Chucky, a
Good Guy doll in the
horror film Child's Play* The clown doll on
Test Card F*
Reborn DollsDolls are distinguished from
action figures, which are generally of plastic or semi metallic construction and poseable to some extent, and exist largely for the purpose of
marketing the
television shows or
films which feature the characters they are often modeled after. Modern action figures, such as
Action Man, are often marketed towards boys, and dolls towards girls.
Festivals*
Hinamatsuri (Japanese doll festival)
