Summary

National doll produced to represent a Finnish woman in regional costume. It was likely made by dollmaker Martta Nukketeollisuus. It was given to Monica Gates circa1970s-1980s. Norway is situated on the western side of the Scandinavian peninsula. Folk or national costumes (bunad) are owned by many men and women today. These costumes are based on local traditional peasant apparel, women's costumes include elaborate skirts, blouses, jackets, stockings, and shoes adorned with silver pins and decorations. Design and colours of costumes vary according to locality so that each large fjord or valley has a distinctive costume. Many costumes combine traditional elements with contemporary ideas and designs.

The Gates collection contains 170 national dolls from 74 different countries and some correspondence relating to the acquisition of several of the dolls. The costumes of the dolls represent national costumes from the 19th Century to the 1990s. Monica Gates collected or was given these dolls between 1957 and 1990.

These dolls were purchased as souvenirs of particular countries and like many mass produced souvenirs they are often not accurate representations of a particular country or region, and may actually better reflect neighbouring counties or regions. This occurs because costumes are often stylised and simplified resulting dolls wearing generic costume elements which are common to many countries/regions. Often the fabrics and decorations used are selected to make the dolls cheap and easy to manufacture and aesthetically pleasing. This can result in the fabrics, colours and decorations of the doll's clothing having little or no reflection of the costume associated with a particular country or region which they are meant to be representing.

Physical Description

Doll, hollow soft plastic. Dressed in a cream bodice with blue stitching around the collar. She has a black and red striped skirt and a red vest with fine black stripes. She also has a white cotton apron with fine red stripes and a red headband with a pattern on the front. Her hair is blonde and is in two plaits with red ties.

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