In THE ANCIENT world dolls were usually made of rags, wood, bone or fired clay. Relatively few have survived because of the perishable nature of their materials. This doll survived as a result of the very dry conditions in parts of Egypt.

It is made of made of coarse linen stuffed with rags and pieces of papyrus. The arms are made from a long roll of linen attached at the back. Coloured wool, now faded, was applied to parts of the face and body. A blue glass bead attached to the head, perhaps a hair ornament, suggests the doll was female.

Dolls ranged from simple home-made playthings such as this example, to miniature works of art, with finely worked features and jointed bodies. As well as dolls, children had a wide range of toys and playthings, such as toy animals, soldiers, doll’s houses with miniature furniture, spinning tops, hoops and marbles.



Roman, made in Egypt, lst-5th century ad
Ht 19 cm
Gift of the Egypt Exploration Fund