Black Doll
'I have bought you something special. Let this be yours. It is from myself entirely.'
She handed me a little photo wrapped in tissue and as I gazed down on it I was at first a little puzzled.
'What is it?'
'It is me as a girl with my black doll, I so loved that doll, I cried when it was taken from me. In Poland it was a rare thing. I had such a love for it. My black doll, now sometimes I think in a strange way you are my black doll.'
She then straitened her dress and embraced me and said with a sigh,
'Partir c'est mourir un peu. It's always like that with us, no?'
Then she flitted away back to her dinner party.
Long after she had gone, I stared at the photograph she had given me. I saw there Irina as an infant, quite recognisable, with her familiar fringe, clutching her black doll and I wondered at our passion which had so dangerously carried us along and also half- remembering my own black doll, my own hopelessly loved object"
Chapter Five..... "No Way To Say Goodbye" : 2008 Rod Madocks
2008 Philadelphia Doll Museum
Since the beginning of civilization, man has made images of himself from objects from his environment, either as drawing on cave walls or as figurines made of wood or clay. These dolls or idols were used as a religious or magical status. Today, dolls are defined as a three dimension figure representing a human being. Added to this definition, is that a doll is a play toy for children.
Dolls have been found throughout the world from the sarcophagi of Ancient Egypt, to the Catacombs in Rome to Native American graves of North America. Dolls tells a story about their past. That is why "the world of doll collecting" provides a treasure of information and holds such interest and joy to all peoples.
In Africa, from Ashanti to Zulu, image sculptures called "ancestor figures" are traditional and religious. These wood carved images represent deceased loved ones. The dolls are used to thank the gods for good health, wealth and a rich harvest. Ancestor's images permeate an African's day-to-day existence because of strong powers. There is a doll for each cycle of life-birth, initiation, marriage, and death.
With the rise of the German doll industry in the 19th century, black dolls found their way from the marketplace and into the home of the wealthy. The early black dolls from Germany were crudely made from papier-mâché, hand painted with pupiless eyes, glued-on wig or molded hair and some with molded shoes. The doll bodies were stuffed with saw dust or straw. Known as the "Golden Age of Doll Manufacturing," from 1880 to 1930, the Germans made china, porcelain and bisque head dolls as well as celluloid. Black dolls were painted or had the color fired in during the second firing process. Of the leading German doll manufacturers, notably three manufacturers led in the production of black dolls: Simon & Halbig, Armand Marseille, and Heubach Koppelsdorf.
Although the Germans were the leading doll manufacturers, the French made more black dolls. Both doll makers Emile Jumeau and Casimir Bru were producing black bisque dolls commercially as early as 1880 and some came with the fired in black color. These luxury French bebes were produced with shades of coloring which gave more realistic tones. The majority of black Bruns and Juneau's are found in the United States.
Look in this gallery of found images for your lost black doll.... ... ..
Black Doll is at the broken heart of things
The hopelessly loved object
It is both a warning and a token
It speaks of loss and offers an obscure comfort
"She gave me other tokens over time, in particular a medallion of the Black Madonna of Czestochowa, once belonging to her grandmother.
'Wear it always for me' she said leaning close to me, fastening it round my neck. That heart-shaped trinket was my most treasured possession and it dangled to tap secretly on my collar bones as I walked and to clink against her silver necklace as we writhed against each other in the summer afternoons. Yet I always wanted more from her. Once she came to see me for ten minutes on the pretext of getting a babysitter before going out to dinner with her husband, serving me slickly, professionally, and then slipping her evening dress back on, no need for a brassiere with her tiny breasts. She rewrapped her shawl, then dabbed herself with Cuir de Russie and leaned forward and said, The hopelessly loved object
It is both a warning and a token
It speaks of loss and offers an obscure comfort
'I have bought you something special. Let this be yours. It is from myself entirely.'
She handed me a little photo wrapped in tissue and as I gazed down on it I was at first a little puzzled.
'What is it?''It is me as a girl with my black doll, I so loved that doll, I cried when it was taken from me. In Poland it was a rare thing. I had such a love for it. My black doll, now sometimes I think in a strange way you are my black doll.'
She then straitened her dress and embraced me and said with a sigh,
'Partir c'est mourir un peu. It's always like that with us, no?'
Then she flitted away back to her dinner party.
Long after she had gone, I stared at the photograph she had given me. I saw there Irina as an infant, quite recognisable, with her familiar fringe, clutching her black doll and I wondered at our passion which had so dangerously carried us along and also half- remembering my own black doll, my own hopelessly loved object"
Chapter Five..... "No Way To Say Goodbye" : 2008 Rod Madocks
2008 Philadelphia Doll Museum
Since the beginning of civilization, man has made images of himself from objects from his environment, either as drawing on cave walls or as figurines made of wood or clay. These dolls or idols were used as a religious or magical status. Today, dolls are defined as a three dimension figure representing a human being. Added to this definition, is that a doll is a play toy for children.
Dolls have been found throughout the world from the sarcophagi of Ancient Egypt, to the Catacombs in Rome to Native American graves of North America. Dolls tells a story about their past. That is why "the world of doll collecting" provides a treasure of information and holds such interest and joy to all peoples.
In Africa, from Ashanti to Zulu, image sculptures called "ancestor figures" are traditional and religious. These wood carved images represent deceased loved ones. The dolls are used to thank the gods for good health, wealth and a rich harvest. Ancestor's images permeate an African's day-to-day existence because of strong powers. There is a doll for each cycle of life-birth, initiation, marriage, and death. With the rise of the German doll industry in the 19th century, black dolls found their way from the marketplace and into the home of the wealthy. The early black dolls from Germany were crudely made from papier-mâché, hand painted with pupiless eyes, glued-on wig or molded hair and some with molded shoes. The doll bodies were stuffed with saw dust or straw. Known as the "Golden Age of Doll Manufacturing," from 1880 to 1930, the Germans made china, porcelain and bisque head dolls as well as celluloid. Black dolls were painted or had the color fired in during the second firing process. Of the leading German doll manufacturers, notably three manufacturers led in the production of black dolls: Simon & Halbig, Armand Marseille, and Heubach Koppelsdorf.
Although the Germans were the leading doll manufacturers, the French made more black dolls. Both doll makers Emile Jumeau and Casimir Bru were producing black bisque dolls commercially as early as 1880 and some came with the fired in black color. These luxury French bebes were produced with shades of coloring which gave more realistic tones. The majority of black Bruns and Juneau's are found in the United States.
Look in this gallery of found images for your lost black doll.... ... ..
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