The History Behind Half Dolls and Their Lower Half, the Pin Cushion

 

 

 

This week my favorite out of the

new arrivals has to be this

antique half doll pin cushion.

 

 

Pretty and feminine,

perfectly worn and shabby.

But, what's the deal with

these half dolls? Where did

they come from? How did they

get their start? 

 

I did a little research and found out

from a page on eHow:

 

History:

 

Porcelain half dolls reached the height of their popularity between 1900 and 1930. The majority of these dolls were made in Germany, with some being produced in Italy, England, France, America and Japan. The earliest half dolls were similar in appearance to 18th-century Meissen dolls with finely sculpted limbs and features. These early half dolls were expensive and considered an extravagant possession. In the 1920s, the dolls became more modern in appearance, displaying bobs and flapper attire. These later models did not possess the same quality of design, being mass produced and poorly glazed.

 

Uses:

 

Half dolls were employed in a wide variety of uses in early 20th-century households. Most commonly, the dolls functioned as pincushions, whisk brooms, bottle stoppers, lamp shades and powder puffs, with the aforementioned objects attached in lieu of legs or a skirt. Other half dolls sported wide, flowing skirts that could cover teapots, toiletries or other objects. Because half dolls were often sculpted without clothing, they also served as useful models for young ladies learning to sew.

Read more: http://www.ehow.com/about_6728380_information-porcelain-half-dolls.html#ixzz2yc4VmAjt

 

I love reading about vintage things...

where they were used...

and why.

 

Enjoy the weekend!

 

Linking with Pink Saturday