Doll

Doll, miniature representation of the human form, used as a toy or, in some societies, a sacred object. The practice of making dolls is an ancient one. Some of the earliest examples, made from a wide range of substances including wood, bone, ivory, and clay, have been found in Pakistan at Mohenjo-Daro (3000 B.C.), and on Babylonian, Egyptian, and Aztec sites. In ancient societies dolls were often entombed with the dead. In America, they are still used in Hopi and Zuni rites. The modern doll has its origin in medieval doll nativity scenes and in the 14th-century fashion dolls of France and England. During the 16th century, Germany became a major center of doll making, noted particularly for its figures carved from wood. Papier-mâché and wax were used in the 19th century as materials for fashioning dolls' heads. Present-day dolls are made from a variety of synthetic materials, their designs incorporating such sales gimmicks as “voices,” working limbs, and moving eyelids.