They come in a variety of sizes, they are made of numerous materials, some of them are like babies, others are just like adults, little girls play with them, they become part of expensive collections, and in some cultures they are even worshiped. Guess who we are talking about? The heroes of this article are dolls. The types of dolls, as well as the history of their appearance, are fully difficult to describe in full, if not impossible at all.
The first dolls and their purpose
The main feature that distinguishes the doll from other toys is that it outwardly resembles a person, and the degree of similarity may be different. Rag dolls amulets are similar to people only in silhouette, but dolls in the form of children are barely distinguishable from real babies.
Even primitive people made humanoid figures, but the purpose of such products was sacred. Worshiped sculptures of people in ancient Egypt, as evidenced by the findings of archaeologists. They were made of wood, fabric, clay, as well as precious stones and metals. At the same time, dolls made from improvised materials were also used for children's games.
The dolls that were played in antiquity in ancient Greece and Rome are truly admirable, because the arms and legs of such toys moved with the help of hinges.
In the Middle Ages in Europe, dolls were widely used in Christianity, because with their help it was possible to easily and interestingly tell Bible stories. And in our time, a tradition has been preserved on Christmas Eve to exhibit at the temples a prototype of the Bethlehem manger, where large dolls act as the baby of Christ, the Virgin Mary, Joseph and other participants in that scene.
Slavic dolls
Since pagan times, amulets have become part of the culture of our ancestors. For the manufacture of such pupae, various materials were used, such as flax, straw, ash, clay, fabric, wood and others. The creation process itself was shrouded in a large number of rules, prohibitions. For example, the face has always remained unpainted, because they believed that evil could enter through the eyes. It was also forbidden to use a needle and scissors. The fabric was not cut so as not to cut off luck, but was torn off, wound in a certain way and fixed with knots, giving the shape of a doll. Types of amulets dolls depended on their purpose. So, the doll "Ten Hands" was designed to help the young housewife with new chores around the house, and "Bereginya" protected the household from evil people.
In addition to the amulets, the Slavs had game and ceremonial dolls. Gaming was made specifically for children, because it was forbidden to play with charming dolls. And ritual chrysalis were created on the occasion of some holiday.
Luxurious and expensive
From the mid-14th century, French masters began to make dolls, which undoubtedly contributed to securing France the status of a fashionable state. In those distant times, when there were no glamorous publications and visual media, the exquisite Pandora dolls demonstrated the latest fashion trends with their appearance. The height of such ladies was 35 cm, and a chest with outfits and accessories was attached to each of them. The cost of such porcelain beauties made them accessible only to the upper strata of society. While Pandora took their honorable places on shelves inaccessible to children, for games they used dolls simpler and cheaper.
Germany of the 15th century became the heyday of a wooden doll, and with the advent of new material in the 19th century - papier-mâché - the face and hands of toy beauties became more expressive and graceful. For the same purposes, more expensive porcelain was used, but the body itself was sewn from fabric.
Paper dolls saw the light in the 18th century, but, as in the story of Pandora and porcelain beauties, they were not intended for games. Using such paper models, designers developed and demonstrated their creations.
The revolution in the puppet world
The emergence of a material such as plastic has undoubtedly revolutionized the production of toys. In the 70s of the 19th century in America for the manufacture of doll heads began to use celluloid - a special plastic based on cellulose. The new material was not afraid of water, it was much stronger than porcelain, and most importantly - cheaper. But there was a minus: celluloid plastic is very flammable and burns well, therefore, in the 20th century, puppeteers refused to use it.
The emergence of numerous factories where puppets were massively and according to the laws of the market can be considered a turning point. Types of dolls determined the demand and needs of children of different age groups. Puppets finally started to be created specifically for children.
You can not underestimate the importance of dolls for the formation of the girl’s personality and her socialization in society. Using a doll, a child can play various situations from real life from an adult perspective, learn to communicate with others. The daughter-mother game, beloved by little girls, develops maternal instinct, contributes to the formation of personality.
Everyone knows and beloved baby dolls are necessary for every girl, because, caring for such a plastic child, the baby learns to be a mother. It is very interesting to observe with children 10-12 months old, it is at this time that they begin to imitate adults. Already at this time, the doll-doll will be very welcome.
Over time, for the production of dolls began to use more and more suitable materials - vinyl, rubber, silicone. Synthetic materials replaced natural ones, thereby enabling the industry to develop, and for children - to receive a variety of doll models that can be safely played with.
Dolls in the Soviet Union
While European craftsmen made exquisite porcelain dolls, the puppeteers of Tsarist Russia did not stand aside. In the 18-19 centuries, the Russian factories of Zhuravlev and Koshechkov, Gudkov and Fedoseyev, Shraer and Fingergut became famous. Dolls of that era depicted smart young ladies, hussars, fashionable townspeople. And it is not surprising that for their indiscretion in the 20s of the 20th century, these graceful Russian dolls were destroyed by order of the Soviet government.
In a new country, toys were supposed to be for ordinary people. Puppets were made of plastic, sometimes the body was made rag. Details were not given much importance, the hair was combed poorly, out of the outfits of such a doll there was only a variegated chintz dress. Rubber doll Zina became the heroine of the eponymous poem Agnia Barto. Why exactly Zina? At that time, each Soviet doll had its own name - it was indicated on a tag attached to the toy.
Paper dolls became another symbol of that era. They could be found in the arsenal of every Soviet girl. The wardrobe of such a doll could be infinitely large, because you could invent and draw new outfits yourself.
In the late 1980s, foreign dolls of Babri appeared on the shelves of Soviet stores, which remain megapopular today.
Modern brands
The Barbie doll, popular today, was invented by the American Ruth Handler in the 1950s, the prototype for her was the Lilly doll - the heroine of the comic books of German newspapers. The fundamental difference between the Barbie doll and other dolls of that time was that Barbie is not a child. With the help of such a doll, girls got the opportunity to put themselves in the game in place of an adult. By the way, it is easy to guess what the daughter of the inventor of the world-famous doll was called. Her name was Barbara.
From the time of its appearance to today, Barbie has undergone many transformations, as, in principle, her wardrobe. But then and now - she is the most popular doll in the world.
About 15 years ago, another doll appeared, which everyone started talking about - this is the Bratz doll. They were created in the image of Barbie, but if Barbie is an adult woman with a thin waist, long legs and large breasts, then the Bratz doll is more like a teenager, with less pronounced forms, but not without them. She has a noticeably disproportionate head, but this idea of the developers liked the girls around the world.
Big dolls, almost as tall as children, are also trending. For example, the Baby Bourne doll is 43 cm tall, which is 7 cm smaller than the average height of a newborn baby. The doll can cry, eats porridge, drinks water, and also goes to the toilet. Dolls 70-80 cm tall depict older children.
While all adults are obsessed with books and series about vampires, zombies and other evil spirits, this topic has penetrated the world of children. Monster High dolls, at the sight of which every grandmother crosses herself, have become the most popular toys of our time. The prehistory for their creation was a cartoon whose heroes study at the school of monsters. All of them have magical abilities and a very unusual appearance. Entire series of dolls are dedicated to the heroines of other equally popular cartoons: Winx, My Little Pony, Novi Star Dol.
Tilda's funny textile dolls invented by the Norwegian Tony Finnanger are still in fashion. These primitive toys appeared in 1999, and stories of their adventures can be read in a series of books of the same name.
Not for children, but instead
About 20 years ago in America, unusual silicone dolls were invented in the form of children, even given a separate name - reborn. These toys are quite expensive, because only the true master can only convey all the smallest features and only by hand. And they play such dolls ... adults.
Opinions about reborn were divided. The fact is that such silicone dolls, as some say, “are terribly similar to real children,” so they are either collectively amused for fun or treated as living ones, but this is already similar to a mental illness.
Author's dolls
A new direction in contemporary art is the creation of an author's doll. Types of dolls in this area can be determined based on the technique of manufacturing art objects, the genre of performance, purpose.
Such dolls are always unique, they are created by the author in a single copy, filled with feelings and emotions. Unfortunately, like many other types of dolls, copyright ones are intended for contemplation, and not for games.
Dolls of the world
Each nation has its own famous dishes, songs, costumes and other phenomena of material and spiritual culture, among which national toys take their place.
Russian dolls matryoshkas are one of the most recognizable and beloved souvenirs from Russia. Japan is famous for its handmade wooden kokeshi dolls.
African dolls depict black women, made of wood, leaves, herbs, decorated with beads.
The rubber doll of our childhood, the new-fangled Baby Bon, or a simple rag doll that was played several centuries ago, all these girls' toys have one important purpose. With their help, little girls learn to be mothers, in a playful way they learn patterns of behavior accepted in society. The relevance of these toys remains at all times.