Dolls Chair, 1690-1700 This and all images courtesy of: The Victoria & Albert Museum Museum of Childhood |
This tiny chair of wood and cane is in the popular style of the period 1690-1700. The caning in the seats and the pattern of crosses which has been incised in the upper surface of the seat frame are identical to full-size chairs made in the same period—showing that this was made by a professional chair-maker using conventional construction methods.
In order to provide fairness to both genders, the “Lady Clapham” doll sits on a similarly-styled chair. For a doll’s chair or any miniature to survive this long is quite exceptional. As I pointed out, the scale is slightly different from the real thingf. The curators of the V&A explain, “The proportions of the chair are slightly different from full-sized chairs, and not quite to scale with the dolls, because the dolls' feet do not touch the ground.” I don’t know if that’s because dolls don’t like their feet touching the ground or if it’s just the way it worked out.
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