Doll Item Number: Ed1.113 from the MOA: University of British Columbia

Description

Figure representing a person on a flat backing of white paper. Front view is depicted of the figure which is made of cloth lightly padded to give a three-dimensional effect having each portion made of a separate piece of cloth wih painted details. Hands are made of paper. Face is made of white silk. Figure's left hand is holding a black, yellow, and red elliptical object on a handle. Wearing a yellow, and red bib, a short red silk blouse tied with a green ribbon, an ankle-length skirt of vertically ribbed white cotton fastened under the arms with a white ribbon, and low red shoes. Two pieces of white flannel hemmed in light red-pink silk with a loop of the same at the top are sewn to the paper backing.

History Of Use

Figure represents small girl of late 19th or early 20th century. Such figures were made during the time when Korea was first open to the outside world (after the mid 1890s), probably as gifts to present to missionaries or other visitors from foreign countries. Flat dolls like these were very popular during the period 1910-20. Before that time, shamans made dolls that they sold to their clients, as images of those the clients wanted to exorcise. Simple dolls were made of straw for children to play with. After Korea opened, people began to see dolls as artistic objects. They were made in workshops by masters, using authentic fabrics whenever possible, as their purpose was to introduce foreigners to Korean society.

Narrative

Collected by J. H. Morris while he was chief engineer for Seoul Railway, Korea.