Clinch Valley news. [volume] (Jeffersonville, Va.) 18??-2019, 1901-03-08
FACTS ABOUT DOLLS.
CAUSE or The ORIGIN OF THE WAX
AND CHINA VARIETIES.

they Were FIRST Used TO show on
Models OF Costly Dresses and I'm the
Seventeenth Century were what
Fashion Papers Are Today.
The origin OF the word doll Is curl
Gus. Centuries ago. when saints names
were much In vogue Tor children, st.
DUrothea was the most popular. and
her name the best and luckiest that
could be given TO little girl. The
nickname was Dolly. or Doll, and from
giving babies the nickname II was an
easy step to pass II on to the little
images OF which the babies were so
fond.
The word doll Is not found In COM
mon use In our language until the
middle OF the eighteenth century, and,
as far as can be discovered. frst ap-
pears In The GentIemRn's Magazine for
September. 1851, In the foIlowing:i
Several dolls with different dresses,
made In St. James street. have been
sent 20 the cEarina 10 show the manner.
OF dressing ut present In fashion among
English ladies'"
Previous TO this the word used to
describe the favorite plaything OF all
girss In all countries and In all ages
was baby" which is to be found,
together with 'poppet." or "puppet"
In this sense In the works of most of
the earlier writer's.
The wax and china doll originated
In the middle OF the seventeenth GEN.
tury. There were no fashion papers
as now. and in order to show what was
being worn on the continent dolls were
beautifully and expensively dressed
and sent to the various European coun-
tries. and from the model orders were
taken The dolls, to show Off their
costly Earb, must be made of more
precious stun than wood. so wax and
china and even ivory ones were made.
Thurngia is the land where most
dolls ars born-puppetland as II Is call
ed on this account. About 200 years
ago most OF the dolls were made In
Flanders. and they were called not
dolls. but Flanders babies. There used
to be On old English couplet which ran
thus:
The children Of Holland take pleasure IN making
What the children OF England take pleasure In
breaking.
At one European doll factory OF the
present day 100000 dolls are produced
annually. some 800 men, women and
children being employed. To make
one talking doll requires the joint labor
OF 30 men. Dolls eyes are made In un-
derground rooms. into which the sun
light rarely peeps, and violet orbs are
the most difficult To color. There Ii
one town In Germany where three
fourths or ali the dolls eyes in the
world are made. Only In the case OF
the most expensive dolls is real human
hair used.
Ia 3 doll factory are wood caryers,
headmakers. leg and arm makers. eye
makers, portrait artists, hairdressers.
doll sewers and doll suffers; also a
small army OF fashionable dressmakers
and milliners.
The Hindoo child is probably, the
only doll-less child In the world Tho
little Egyptians have their wooden
"Ushabti," the same in style as 1000
years ago These were sometimes
made OF porcelain. When a child died.
Its dolls were buried with II. In the en-
pectation that their spirit forms would
rise and do service In another world.
The paradise OF dolls is Japan. where
they are most deliberately and gor-
geously atsired AFFAIRS. SO are the dolls
OF Kioto-"genroku," as they are call
ed. They are often valuable wood
carvings. ennmeled In colors or statu-
cites OF great artistic merit.
One of the most interesting colIec.
lions OF dolls In this country is that
belonging to the bureau OF ethnology,
Washington. They are dolls OF the Unit
Indians OF Arizona and are made from
the roots or subterranean branches OF
the cottonwood tree, whitfield out with
knives They are decorated bright red
yellow, green ana represent the gods Of
the tribs-the sod OF the snow. the god
that eats mp the rainclouds, the FIRE
god. the sun god and the corn goddess
The Uni children play with these dolls
as other children do. Any one who
goes into Uni habitation is certain ia
see q row OF these dolls suspended
from the ceiling. When not In use
they are hung up until wanted.
La Infaatila Is a doll with q history
1t Is made OF. clay and Is considered by
It's owner, q Mexican lady, and by
hosts OF other persons to be a w rker
OF miracles. and quantities of costly
gifts are constantly offered to. II. A
room In the house OF It's owner is set
aside for It's exclusive use. Here II re.
clines in canopy bed Of solid silver
1t has beautiful dresses and rich jew
slry. valued at THOUSANDS OF dollars
Among its latest gifts is a magnificent
piano. which is played upon by those
who visit the doll. as part OF the serv-
ice Of adoration.-New York Sun.