Doll

From Encyclopedia Jr, free information reference for Kids

For other uses, see Doll (disambiguation).

Das Ankleiden der Puppe (English: Dressing the Doll), 1844

A doll is a toy often made in the likeness of a human baby or child, although dolls are also made in the likeness of human adults, animals, or fictional creatures (e.g. troll dolls). Dolls can be made out of almost any material, but both cloth and plastic are popular in doll-making.

[edit] Use

Dolls are often intended as toys for children 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. Lifelike dolls can be used for professional use (see anatomically correct doll) or as sex toys (see sex doll). Artists' mannequins are also known as "artists' dolls." Dolls with action figure-like articulation are sometimes referred to as "action dolls^[1]."

[edit] History

Russian Doll in traditional costume ("Russisches Mosaik").

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.

[edit] Composition

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
• Wood

[edit] Famous types of dolls

[edit] Toy dolls

Pinocchio dolls in diverse stages of construction in a shop window in Firenze, Italy.

• Action figures
• American Girl
• Ball-jointed doll
• Betsy Wetsy
• Blythe
• Bobblehead doll
• Cabbage Patch Kids
• Celebrity doll
• Chatty Cathy
• Cindy Smart
• Dollikins (also called Action Girl)
• Fashion dolls
  • Barbie and Ken
  • Bratz
• Gigi
• Jumeau Dolls
• Kewpie doll
• Paper Doll
• Pinocchio

A diverse group of dolls made from Biggidur (a patented material created by the Waltershauser doll company) at an exhibition in Budapest, Hungary

• Porcelain Doll
• Raggedy Ann and Andy
• Société Française de Fabrication de Bébés et Jouets
• Strawberry Shortcake
• Teddy bear
• Tiny Tears
• Troll doll
• Waldorf Doll

[edit] Other dolls

• Kachina dolls
• Matryoshka doll
• Voodoo doll
• Worry dolls

[edit] Events related to dolls

• Hinamatsuri (Japanese doll festival)

[edit] See also

• Stuffed animal
• Simpich Character Dolls

[edit] References

[edit] External links

• Rini Doll