The sun., 1908-03-26
DOLLS OF ALL The NATIONS
MRS. LAURA STARR EXHIBITS
HER COLLECTION,
which she Gathered In Many Lands on
Trip Around the NOrld--CuriOus specl'
mens From China and India and Eg1bt
The Oldest Doll on Record Absent.

Trip Around the WOrld-CuriOu bpecs
mems From China and India and EgJbt
The Oldest Doll on Record Absent.
| The rooms Of the Pen and Brush Club at
| 30 West Twenty-fourth street we're filled
20 overfiowing yesterday afternoon with
a crowd OF children and grownups eager 10
| see Mrs. Laura Starts collection OF dolls
Of all nations and to hear her tell stories
about them.
The little girls, who perhaps had been
led TO believe that they we're to view 9 galaxy
OF walking and talking mimic Parisiennes
garbed in all the glory Of the Rue de Ia PAX
and an assortment Of long robed waxen in
! fants with eyes that open and SHUT we're
apparently disappointed.
! The women who accompanied them,
| however professed great delight 10 what
they termed the historical accuracy OF the
makeups and costumes Of the makebelieve
japanese Emperors, Indian soothsayers.
Chinese sages, Dutch fshwives Mexican
/ runners. Lapland women on snowshoes
and toboggsns, New England farmers
wives Of half century ago and French
lace makers,
These dolls--there are i75 OF them
we're not copied after pictures or put to-
gether in accordance with printed direo-
tions or anything Of that sort. Every one
Of them was made in the country which II is
supposed to represent and was acquired
by Mrs Starr on six years trip around the
world
OF the Egyptian dolls, which have been
found in graves dating back to 1000 b. C.,
she has been able 10 obtain only photo
graphs The originals we're miniature
mummcs There we're, however two mod
crn dolls from the valley Of the Nile, which
were unique. One was made entirely OF
mud. except for its hair, which was evil
IDENTIFY stolen from a horses tail The end
of the braid was ornameuted with a small
mud ball. The other Mrs. Starr said, was
an eNemplihCation Of kipling's phrase,
"a rag and bone and hank Of hair Il
! was composed of bamboo stick, over
which was draped very scant cotton
| garment The long black hair, however,
{ was abundant enough to make up for all
other DEFICIENCIES.
! From India there we're two very curious
/ specimens. one dressed in the rich costume
/ Of Hindu merchant prince Of the sixteenth
I century. with very red cheeks and one very
/ blg earring, the other a tiny, rather crude
affair made Of the pith Of tree.
The very oldest doll on record, Mrs
Starr said. was a feminine one made in
India centuries and centuries ago by the
3 wife of the god silva. When completed
a. Al - gpHHaga
/ away in the fastnesses OF the Hlmalaya
Mountains lest some one should steal it.
| She visited il from time to time, and her
! husband becoming suspicious Of her fire.
quent absences spied upon her and dis
/ covered the concealed treasure, lmme-
diately upon heholding It he became 90
enamoured Of ts charms that he gave il
life. Much TO the regret of the audience
/ Mrs Starr confessed that she didn't have
even a picture postal Of this famous doll
The collection is particularly rich in
specimens from China. There were two
! dolls about foot in height which came
from the palace Of the Dowager Empress
at Pekn and which are said TO be 300 years
! old. They haven't small feet because
they are Of Manchurian manufacture.
A Chinese family consisting Of father,
! mother, their married daughter and her
! husband awakened special interest The
|
! dolls at all. Their faces we're 80 delicately
| and skilfully moulded and were 30 full Of
expression that they might well have served
! az models Cor . worker IN ivory.
A doll from the Canary Islands wearing
a dark skirt. which was pinned up TO show
! the red pettiooat underneath, and white
! mantilla excited enthusiastic admiration,
! as did also a japanese maiden, likewise
! wearing a red petticoat In Japan the red
] IA oult hts ha cd
woman, whence comes the saying that
1T is to be hoped love will not fly out with
| the red petticoat.'
Specimens Of Italian and Mexican dolls
used in gious festivals and group Of ten
sitting around table which Mrs Starr
! called Continental quilting bee, doll
from California made Of seaweed and some
American Indian papOOses mounted on
! elaborate cradle boards were pronounced
by one Of the experts present as partcu-
| larly desirable specimens from the col
| lpctor's point of view,