This page features my dolls in national dress or historical costumes. They are nice to display because of their colourful clothing. Some of the dolls on this page are dolls I had as a child and as I played with them they have seen better days. They are now retired to the top shelf where they will be safe.

Historical Costumes

I believe this doll is meant to be Anne Boleyn, the costume looks to be in the Tudor style. She has sleep eyes, arms and neck are strung but body and legs are in one piece. She was bought by me around 1963-65

A Peggy Nisbet doll made to represent Nell Gwyn, mistress of Charles II. Peggy Nisbet was a British doll designer who produced her first dolls in the 1950s. She became famous world-wide for her dolls due to the research she did to ensure accurate costumes. You can read all about her and her dolls on the Peggy Nisbet website.

Mary Queen of Scots a hard plastic doll with fixed legs and jointed arms, rather crudely made hands. Hair could be mohair. She is about 7″ tall.

I have several other dolls that look like this, some in historic costumes and others in colourful national dress. Although only one has a tag I believe that they are all from the same manufacturer. The tag says “Faun dolls, NU-Fabrics Co. Pty. Ltd. Melbourne. Made in Hong Kong.” Most of them I picked up for just a couple of dollars each about 15 years ago. An advertisement that I found on Flickr shows that these dolls were made around 1967 and retailed for $1.99. The advertisement showed a dozen dolls but I believe there may have been more as most of the ones that I have are not pictured.

National Costumes

The next group is also in national dress. They are a similar age to my Anne Boleyn and four of them were also childhood dolls. They are hard plastic bodies some with fixed legs and the others strung. They all have sleep eyes and are around 8″ tall.

Two more hard plastic dolls in national costume. No markings that I could see. A lot of these dolls have their clothing glued on so I don’t like to remove it to look for markings.

These Dutch dolls are also hard plastic. I think the girl has been partially redressed but her cap, clogs and apron look older as do her wooden pails.

This little boy doll is made of a thin plastic and has painted side glancing eyes and rosy cheeks. I’m not sure where he is supposed to be from.

Above is a figure of an Indian lady wearing a sari. She is made of fabric over a wire armature. Her face is needle sculpted and the features are painted. I am not sure how old she is or what part of the country her costume represents. Indian doll lovers please help! At any rate she is very nicely made although I consider her to be a figure rather than a doll as she is obviously not meant to be played with.

The last pair need no introduction. They are hard plastic souvenir dolls from the UK and represent Guards Regiments.

 

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