The Voyage of Dolls From Wood to Silicon

By Rod Low

Dolls have been a part of humankind since prehistoric times. Used to depict religious figures or used as playthings, early dolls were probably made from primitive materials such as clay, fur, or wood. No dolls have survived from prehistoric times, although a fragment of an alabaster doll with movable arms from the Babylonian period was recovered.

Once used in religious rituals, dolls are considered as a depiction of gods and spirits. It was around in the 15th century that dolls were given the status of toys, and since then, there is no looking back for the old variety of dolls.

During the 1850s, a "bebe" was first made. Very popular during the 1880s, it is still a collector's item now. It is so because it has considerable differences from its precursors before 1880 as it represents a young girl, instead of adults. While French dolls are supreme in its artistry, German Bisque dolls eventually took over them due to their cheaper price. In the 1900s, Kammer & Reinhardt showcased a bisque character doll for the first time, starting a new wave of creating realistic looking dolls.

Dolls then are not so sophisticated and majority of those are made from wood or wax and most of them represents German women. Dolls have come a long way from being crudely made to very exquisite dolls with very realistic features and body ratio like Barbie dolls. Most dolls are made to satisfy people's desire for play and fun and these types of dolls are so much that they are 'uncountable'. As a result, many efforts are made to make sure that these dolls are made from a non-toxic material and made as children friendly as possible.

With this height of innovation, there are now have dolls made of Silicone and even special material like Vinyl Skin. Although most dolls are now mass-manufactured using these modern materials, many doll makers are still insisting on using the traditional materials of the past to make collectible dolls.

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