Rag Dolls. A rag doll is a children’s toy. It is a cloth figure of a doll. They are traditionally home-made from (and stuffed with) spare scraps of material. They are one of the oldest children’s toys in existence. Today, many rag dolls are commercially produced to look like the original home-made dolls. These dolls usually have simple features, soft cloth bodies, and patchwork clothing. Reference: Wikipedia
Below are some examples of rag dolls including a Roman or Egyptian rag doll dating between the 1st century to 5th century and a Bart Simpson rag doll.
Female rag doll Made in Australia, Oceania, 1930-1950. Rag doll, cloth / wool / wood / plastic, maker unknown, [Australia], 1930-1950 Rag doll made from fabric comprising a stocking or moulded mask type face. The doll has eyes which move independently, hair in ringlets made from yellow wool and arms and legs constructed from simple stuffed material with no detail on the hands and fingers. The facial features are painted on with a red rosebud mouth, rosy cheeks and black eyelashes. The doll is wearing a blue velvet bonnet, which is now quite worn and dirty, with a bow tied under the chin, a short yellow velvet jacket with puffed sleeves and four buttons down the front and a knee length blue velvet skirt that matches the bonnet with blue bloomers underneath. Both the jacket and the skirt are worn and dirty. The dolls also wears short ‘woolly’ socks and black shoes are sewn onto the ankles and feet. On the back of the doll are four cream and blue fabric rosettes attached to the top of the hat.
Reference: Museum of Applied Art and Sciences
Bart Simpson rag doll, circa 1990 By Dan Dee, on original card with quote, Buy Me, Not Lisa! 11 inches tall
Sold for 125 USD at Sotheby’s in 2015
Stuffed cotton doll representing Lupino Lane dressed for his role as the cockney ne’er-do-well Bill Snibson in Me and My Girl, with a pink face and printed features, a removable stiffened felt grey-blue pork-pie hat, a black and white dog-tooth checked suit, a blue shirt, a purple bow tie, white gloves and black shoes. Made by The Dean’s Rag Book Co (1903) Ltd (designer and maker)
This doll represents Lupino Lane as Bill Snibson in the original production of Noel Gay’s Me and My Girl which opened at London’s Victoria Palace Theatre in December 1937. The musical comedy was a huge success, running until 1940 and making its cheerful Cockney ‘ Lambeth Walk’ number into an instant hit. Lupino Lane (1892-1959) was the son of the clown Harry Lupino and the nephew of the theatre manager Sara Lane. He appeared at the London Pavilion in 1903 as ‘Nipper’ Lane and by the 1920s was a popular performer in the West End and in films. His long list of successful comedy parts was nevertheless eclipsed by his triumph as the Cockney who finds himself one of the aristocracy. The show celebrated its 1000th performance on 26 July 1939, and it may well have been for that occasion that these dolls were made to give to the audience. The Victorian producer George Edwardes inaugurated the system of giving souvenirs to his audiences for special occasions, giving Geisha dolls representing various characters in the cast to every audience member to celebrate the 600th performance of The Geisha.
Deans Rag book cloth doll in original box, English 1937 The felt face with painted blue eyes and red lips, short blonde hair, swivel head to cloth body with velvet arms and legs, wearing pink gauze dress and bonnet with blue polka dots, felt slippers and underclothes, in green card box with label, 49cm (19 1/2in) tall.
Sold for £ 552 inc. premium at Bonham’s in 2006
Rag-doll made from linen stuffed with rags and papyrus. The arms are made from a long roll of linen attached at the back. Coloured wool, now faded, was applied to parts of the face and body. The presence of a small blue glass bead attached to the proper left side of the head suggests a hair ornament.
1st Century -5th Century Roman / Egyptian
Reference: © The Trustees of the British Museum
A rare Dean’s Rag Book Co. George Robey doll with pressed and printed cloth face, brown wool hair, stuffed stockinette body with wire armiture, white felt hands, original clothes, hat and cane and Dean’s ink stamp on body, circa 1923 –14in. (35.5cm.) high; a book ‘What Women Know About Men’ by H.E. Male with green cloth cover, George Robey Ex-Libris sticker and inscribed on first page to Michael Crane from George Robey’s widow Blanche, every page of the book is blank (spin faded); a hand drawn self-portrait and signiature of George Robey on a postcard; and a photograph of Blanche Robey presenting this doll to Michael Crane
Sold for GBP 660 at Christie’s in 2006
