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Doll
Wooden doll in traditional Welsh costume. Costume comprises a cap, apron, bedgown, skirt, chemise, drawers, shawl, neckerchief and separate sleeves. The body has wooden articulated limbs, joints at shoulders, elbows, hips and knees.
Red wool petticoat (skirt) and white cotton bodice, blue wool gwn bach(?), brown/white check apron, white kerchief, pattern-weave shawl in white/red/blue/green with blue fringe, separate sleeves (to elbow) made from printed cotton (small black, red and brown floral pattern on white ground) and white lace-trimmed net bonnet. She is also wearing a full white linen petticoat (short sleeves and neck trimmed with lace) and 3/4-length white linen pantaloons with drawstring at waist.
Articulated limbs (joints at shoulders, elbows, hips and knees); lower arms and legs are painted in blue, white and pink and her head, neck and upper torso have been covered with a chalky (plaster?) substance, on which facial features are painted in black, red, blue and white. The crown of her head is not covered in plaster but painted black; a long plait of real brown hair has been wound round her head with 1 end forming a fringe and a length of plait circling round over the fringe (hair is currently attached with 4 small tabs of double-sided tape - presumably a later repair - but it appears as though the hair was originally stitched in place (remains of brown thread, S-twist).
Further description of garments: Red wool petticoat and white cotton bodice: petticoat made from raised nap tabby weave (singles yarns); constructed from single piece of fabric with seam at centre back (herringbone stitches using yellow thread, S-twist), broad hem (3.5cm, slip stitches, same thread), 6cm long slit at waist, gathered at waist and stitched to white cotton tabby waistband (folded in half, width=1cm); white cotton tabby bodice joined to petticoat by gathering at waist and sandwiching in-between folded waistband; round arm-holes (no sleeves); small turnbacks along arm-holes, down centre back opening and along upper edge (neck) (all slip-stitched using white cotton thread). 2 (different) mother-of-pearl buttons are stitched to proper right side at upper centre back and at back of waist. Upper button has corresponding buttonhole; lower button has stitched loop (which, however, had torn off and was found tucked behind the button).
Blue wool gwn bach (note: it is not clear whether this garment can be described as a gwn bach because the opening is down the centre back - alternatively, it is possible that the garment was fitted wrongly on the doll and ought to have been worn with the opening facing the front). Made from raised nap tabby weave (singles yarns); wide skirt with 2.5cm wide hem, pleated and gathered into strip of piping around waist; bodice seamed at sides and shoulders; short sleeves (to elbow) with narrow cuff, gathered at shoulder and cuff; bodice lined with fine white tabby woven cotton fabric (constructed from 3 pieces of fabric) - sleeves are not lined; strip of piping also around neck; metal hooks (painted black) and stitched loops at neck and waist; neither of the two were fastened.
Woollen apron made from small brown and white check, 2/2 twill weave, singles yarns. Each white and brown stripe is made of 8 or 6 yarns (warp and weft direction, respectively, i.e. each stripe is c. 2 - 2.5mm wide) Waist gathered by means of drawstring (0.6cm wide tabby-woven linen tape), tied with double-bow at back. 1.5cm wide hem.
Triangular white cotton kerchief; folded at upper centre back to conform to curve of neck; folds held together with small stitch. Tabby ground weave with additional yarns woven in 5/1 twill pattern, creating a pattern of small squares (c. 1 x 1 cm) of which every second one is filled with a 4-lobed motif, tabby weave); small, slip-stitched turnbacks; loose, not stitched in place; barely visible beneath shawl.
Triangular pattern woven shawl with looped fringe/gimp stitched to its two shorter sides. Weave includes white, red, blue and green yarns which come to the surface of the weave at different times to create an abstract floral pattern. Long side of triangle is folded at upper centre back to conform to curve of neck; folds held together with small stitch. Single turnback along upper edge secured with herringbone stitches; single turnback also along shorter edges but folded over to the front of the garment and held in place by the stitches securing the fringe; shawl not secured but simply held by ends tucked under waistband of apron.
Separate tabby woven printed cotton sleeves held at elbow height by tied draw-string (white cotton thread, Z-twist); proper right sleeve secured to sleeve of bedgown by additional short metal pin (1.6cm). C. 1.8cm long slit at cuffs; sleeves are slightly ruffled at cuff. Proper left cuff is held in place by a white cotton thread (wound round cuff, tied off with double knot, and wound round and tied a second time). On upper part of proper right sleeve, a narrow red tabby-woven silk ribbon has been tied into a bow (width = 0.3cm).
Bonnet made from fine net and 1.2cm wide lace trim round edge; gathered along sides and upper edges; additional shorter lengths of gathered lace applied to both sides of face. Bonnet fastened with white tabby-woven silk ribbon under chin, tied off with bow at proper right side. Bow appears to have become detached from proper right side as it is currently held by a pin. Ribbon has looped selvages: groups of 3 loops.
Full white linen petticoat: tabby woven linen (singles yarns); made from 2 pieces of fabric (seams along sides), narrow hem (0.4cm), c. 4cm long slit at centre front (possibly fitted back to front with slit intended to have been at back); small pleat at lower end of slit, secured with one stitch. Lace-trimmed neck held together with white thread attached to either side of slit (tied in a double-knot); lace trim at neck and cuffs = 0.6cm wide.
Wide pantaloons made from tabby woven linen (singles yarns); constructed from 2 pieces of fabric with seams on insides of legs and centre front and back; 0.9cm wide hems. Fastened at back with tabby-woven cotton tape drawstring (0.6cm) with single bow.
All stitches sewn by hand.