The doll, which is presented in the collection, is homemade. It is sewn from white cotton fabric and stuffed with cotton wool. The face is painted. Hair is made of threads sewn to the head, braided and tied with a white kerchief. The peasant doll is dressed in a black satin sarafan, a white cotton blouse with long sleeves and a white oval apron. The edges of the kerchief, sleeves and apron are trimmed with narrow white lace. On her feet there are stockings, which are sewn from pink-colored knitwear, and ankle boots made of black dermatin.
The Russian rag doll comes from a family of folk toys, its history goes back to ancient times. Dolls accompanied people from their first steps. Wood, clay, straw, cloth and other available materials were used to create toys. The doll’s purpose was not only in play, but also in protection of the child. It was believed that it guarded children’s sleep and protected them from evil forces.
Dolls were made for different purposes, so several types of them can be distinguished: play dolls, ritual dolls, amulet dolls. As the name implies, ritual dolls were used for various types of rituals: agricultural, wedding or festive. Amulets were made from ashes, pieces of cloth and birch branches. The main rule in their manufacture was not to use any tools. The dolls were created for a certain person or family.
Traditional dolls had their own characteristics. Most often they had no facial features, in rare cases those were painted with embers. A folk rag doll was made from wool or cotton pieces of fabric, linen, using multicolored ribbons. All the details were tied with threads or fixed with knots. Scissors were not used for this purpose, since a sharp blade could damage the handiwork.
Over time, the doll, in addition to being the sacred symbol and toy, began to acquire the status of an expensive gift and an attribute of the interior. In the 19th century, game dolls acquired painted faces: most often they had feminine features.
