Welsh costume doll, Pembrokeshire Museum, D2

Description

Pembrokeshire Museum, no catalogue number
This is one of a pair, male and female, both in a display case.
Costume: wearing hat, coat, waistcoat, breeches, stockings and shoes. He is partner to D1.
Body: Wooden painted head with rounded chest in stuffed cloth body. The neck is broken. Earthenware lower arms and hands
Height: c.52cm (including hat and shoes)
General observations: Male Welsh costume dolls are extremely rare. The clothes of this example are similar to the few descriptions and illustrations that survive of Welsh men. Men from all classes wore a similar style of best clothes throughout England and Wales (jacket, waistcoat, breeches, stockings and tall hat). It is likely that the fabric of Welsh men's clothes was locally produced wool. The bright coloured waistcoat and blue socks might be typical. The hat is probably proportionately too large for this doll: it is made of woven fabric but an adult hat would have been of felt or covered in silk (the hat of the woman's in this couple is covered in silk).
Date: late 19th century? The cuffs and trouser waistband tape are machine stitched.

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