Casgliadau Arlein

Large 'Cinderella' doll with blond hair, blue dress, blue hat and blue shoes, in original box.

Made from six elements, cast from plaster of paris, then painted: torso, arms, legs and head held together on inside of torso with elastic to which they are attached via a metal hook. Doll's torso has Ø=5cm circular voicebox in centre back (inset of perforated metal surrounded by pink plastic ring) - no longer working; all limbs, apart from the right arm, appear to have been repaired at some stage: the arm and leg joints have been fitted with pink plastic inserts which restrict the movement of the arms and legs and prevent them from swivelling around 360°. Head - features of face painted in red and brown, white plastic upper teeth set into head, brown plastic eyes with closing mechanism and black synthetic fibre eyelashes; blonde hair adhered to head, reaching down to nape of neck, made of very fine synthetic fibre, curls held in place with metal hairpins, yellow Nylon (?) hairnet with elastic around edge on top of head (front) (probably was once worn over all of hair but has now slipped off); earrings of two circular and one teardrop-shaped pearl (plastic) threaded onto metal wire and secured to ear. Hands - nails are painted with red nail varnish (presumably by doll's owner, not by manufacturer). Feet - doll wears light blue finely knitted synthetic socks (seamed down centre front and back) and blue plastic shoes fastened with strap and button (all moulded from same piece of plastic as shoe). Clothing - dress, knickers, and hat all made from light blue synthetic fabric. Dress - full length, high-waisted dress, puffed short sleeves, cotton net frills and white synthetic braid trimming (0.9cm wide) along hem, ends of sleeves and neck; elasticated cuffs and neck. Bodice - front made from two pieces of blue fabric (joined down centre front), upper edges cut into rounded shapes, resulting in a V-neck, upper part of bodice (space between blue fabric of bodice and tight net frill around neck) made from cotton net. Further cotton net frill along upper edges of blue fabric. Back constructed in same way in addition to a 17cm long slit at upper centre back fastened with two blue plastic-covered metal popper buttons (Ø=0.9cm); slit extends into skirt section. Skirt and petticoat - full length skirt gathered into bodice around high waist, seam at centre back and at PR side (the larger piece has selvages at both edges, i.e. the full width of the woven fabric is c. 94cm); dress has short (to mid-thigh) white integrated petticoat of stiffened fabric (loose-weave coated fabric) which has a 7cm wide turnback at hem and is machine-stitched to the inner waist of the dress. Petticoat has a centre-back seam which is integrated into the CB seam of the skirt. Two full-length blue tabby weave cotton (?) floral print sashes (?) gathered and attached along side of waist (full width = c. 45cm, lower corners rounded; edges trimmed with net and braid as above).
Knickers - elasticated waist and leg holes trimmed with white synthetic braid (as above). Hat - crown of hat constructed from four sections of fabric, 7.5cm wide brim (single piece of fabric / no seams) stiffened with interlining of white coated fabric (same as petticoat), white synthetic ribbon (1.2cm wide) printed with small blue stars machine stitched along its lower edge over seam between brim and head section of hat, ends tied into bow. White cotton net frill (2.5cm wide) sandwiched in-between outer and inner blue fabric along edge of brim. Underside of brim (outer edge) trimmed with white synthetic braid (as above). All seam allowances are unfinished. Box - doll is kept in its original grey cardboard box (held together with staples); adhered paper label printed in red with the 'Golborne dolls' trademark and no., size, dress, hair, price to be entered onto dotted line (now illegible); lid is inscribed in pencil: 'A Merry Xmas to Tinker from Mammy + Daddy'; accession number is written in thick black felt tip pen onto two sides of the box and onto the top of the lid.