Vintage animal plush and the history of antique dolls.
Many woolly vintage lambs are mohair, from goats. How collectors read wool labels, what the V&A’s 1950 Larry the Lamb reveals, how to date a newer lamb, and how to keep moths away.
The first doll ever made is lost, but a 4,000-year-old stone head from Pantelleria is the oldest known toy doll. Here is how it compares with Egypt’s paddle dolls and a 28,000-year-old ivory figure.
Doll history traced through museum objects: Greek jointed clay figures, the 1690s Clapham dolls, an English fashion doll of 1748, Montanari wax, Jumeau bisque, Raggedy Ann’s 1915 patent, and Barbie.