$700
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sold
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Description
7" (18 cm.) One-piece paper mache or carton figure of woman standing with hands crossed in front of her torso, designed with hollow skirt interior having closed base beneath the skirt to enclose the small rattles that are hidden within. The woman has finely-sculpted facial features and costume including Charlotte cap, red dress with white collar and apron, gloves, flat black shoes, and is attached to original wooden base. Condition: generally excellent. Marks: Bristol 1700 (hand-lettered on base). Comments: early 19th-century, the doll is costumed in the worker's uniform of Bristol (England) orphanage, and was likely designed as a solace to the young children living in the home. Prior to the 1830s orphaned children in England were sent to workhouses and then, in 1836 the Prussian evangelist George Muller established the first of three orphanages in Bristol, England, aiming to offer a good environment for parent-less children.