I can always recognize a doll by Pauline. It is so appealing in every way. This one portraying Holland is 14 in. with open glass eyes, vinyl head and limbs, and a stuffed cloth body. It was designed by Pauline Bjonness Jacobsen, Tiki Crafts Industries, 1993.
This pair of 8.5 in. vinyl dolls representing Switzerland are a 1986 Limited Ed. by designer Suzanne Gibson. Made for play, their clothing is quite detailed. The boy’s pants are called lederhosen; there are bows on his socks and flowers on his hat. The girl in regional dress wears touches of black lace on her bonnet and arms.
These six 1 in. Trouble Dolls from Guatemala in their original box are from Parkville Imports Inc., 1981. The native Indians tell this story about the dolls. When you have troubles, share them with your dolls. Remove one doll for each problem and tell them about it. Do this before you sleep and the doll will try to solve it while you sleep. No more than six problems a day or you’ll run out of dolls!
These dolls are made of paper. Origami was used to make the head of the larger one. The tiny dolls whirl around under their umbrella in the slightest breeze. In front is a book of brilliant wood block prints by Hiroshige titled, “53 Stages of the Tokaido” (The Emperor’s Road). It depicts landscapes and activities of travelers along the road from Edo (Tokyo) to Kyoto in the 1830’s. The artist produced many prints but his public always demanded new versions of the Tokaido so he eventually produced 20 sets.
MGA, the maker of the currently popular 9 in. Bratz doll, also made an impressive Japanese Bratz version in 2001. Her foot and shoe snap onto her ankle, so the thong platforms called “geta” stay put and also act as a stand.
Sailor Moon, 8 in., is based on a Japanese manga style series about a teenage school heroine. On her back and clothing tag, she is marked “CLAMP et al Trendmasters 2000 China.” This is a play doll made of very pliable vinyl. Under her hat two small pigtails are tied with red beads. Her tiny mouth is just a small cut under her nose. She wears a backpack.
My son brought this 18 in. folk doll back from China circa 1985. She is made of hollow, pliable vinyl. The face is beautifully painted and her hair is drawn back into a partial pigtail that hangs below her waist. A little girl would love to play with her.
This collection of dolls from Japan started with the two on the right brought back on business trips by my husband and son. I added the other dolls and items locally. They are artistic creations not meant for play and are dressed in traditional kimonos that go back many centuries.
The Japanese company Takara made this 1985 11 in. Barbie (on right) under license from Mattel. She is fully jointed with bendable arms and legs, light brown hair, brown eyes, and a Japanese animee face. Everyday Kimono describes her outfit. The second Takara doll, Jenny, was made 1981-1987. She is the same size and construction as the Barbie. Her box was labeled Jenny’s Club as there were six other dolls in the series, all bendable for posing.
