DOLLS OF THE WORLD.

Dominion, Volume 2, Issue 399, 7 January 1909, Page 3

DOLLS OF THE WORLD.

Aiady..missionary,recently left Croydon, England,-for Qua. Iboo, says an, exchange, : on the /West : Coast t.of, Africa, - taking : with.' -i her a •large.'.MSortmeiit .vol dolls /to.'. give to. ; ' native .'.girls. VOn arrival, ■ however,'. tho" mis'-, • sionaries/ already, there, decided',/that; tho in- « tended 'gifts: should not :bo distributed,/ ''be-, ' cause, the/'instinct of worship . would. in 'all ' probability iexalt /theV:dolls/' to the. , position ; : of-, idols;"; -So: they/'are/all being/sent' back to England.: . ' •: ///'/ /:':/>":■' . ..This paragraph provides•: an interesting ' little /commentary on'-a: lecture on f'Child- : ren's, /Dolls, of the World," recently given , London : by; . a;:' learned professor, who showed..that ..while dolls in sorno form or another had. been - associated-/with 'nearly, all. the/peoples-of the world,^in all times they ■ were '.probably, at .'first -associated .with'-re-, ligious, ceremonial.,/-; In certain countries.,: -i indeed,. the.; transition; from the ; . ceremonial - I doll t.o.thei,child's toy;was direct,'as in the, 1 ;caso ; .Of, .the,.dolls., of the,Moqui- Indians: .of' ' Arizona,/.which, .after ;figuring: in the fer, ! ligious ceremonial, ;were given, to the children '• as .toys, .while; in: our - own island- of Malta/ ■ children's', dolls . always: represented, different' : :saints,:an(l'..were still:called by s'ajiits!. names.. : I'rom.. remote ages 'dolls were , much- :in-' : evidence/: as symbols .in: ancient'-Kgypt .'soiiie! : 2000 . years., before /.Christ,; .when anyone /oft i importance/died; . there: were'placed 1 in Jthe:' -.' tomb with, him a./number,/of,, doll-like figures' ■ of/stone, -wood,, or'clay,, called, "ushabti " oj- "' '■answerers,;.! - whose; duty;it; was. to: attend' 1 upon/the; deceased;; at'/tho rising.qf' the Nile a .doll was thrown into the river to" .bring about a "good ' Nile.!' In former: 1 times' it' would have" been S; human" ' * - -As'- f'.-Miriohet'tesi" /doirs '.might- ' be" found' ! in China-,':'Japan-," India," Africa,;'and! qthef'-.'pl%:es/the'-''detiiirs of .'.the "-performances /varying/'.coh'iiderably-:. : but/the' general/'jdea'of some , form' of moral; ; iepre'sentatibh:/;being: practically the' same/ Instances in', which' : a 'doll, figure aefccFas the, ■ 'receptacle, of /the' 'spirit .of the dead, 'or of..:a* ; :part of/it,'existed in;'such, w'idyy'/sepa'r'ated: 1 ;placc*s',as - ChihV,./New,/Guihe'aj' "aiid/ Gfeiitral,' ' Africa.; lii; short,"there,, I was/far^'more in. the' , simplel cKildJs ,'doir than ;:wa^'dreamed, o'f.'in philosophy. ' , ' -- ; .'V-, ! •':'Sfr.V,-J^ißft, t jn.''mclndingj{:.sajd':. that i-a'ii. .interesting feature 6f : mqdern children's dolls-' • was that'; they ./were/ ft/ perfect-'rbproductioti- ■ in ;' mina'turo.:. of! the/ people who made: : them,-: : not:..oiily;. in type of face, etc., ; hut" also" as • regarded/costume, <so.that a/good collection of such . dolls represented very well, the -.people.-'themselves'' in miniature 'form.;^The materials employed in. .varidd--to a remarkable extent, those from the Ard- ' tie ': Circle being made, of /walrus, ivory or driftwood, those . from ; the,' Congo of/ iron',. . whilst; others from Central and South Africa were made of; gourds. ; Indian and Burmese dolls, were usually of/the .rag description, . gaudily dressed, and'some from Mexico we're of .burnt, clay; Special, interest attached to tho'dolls of European countries, as'in' many : instances:, they: illustrated unique : ; and .'picturesque national costumes,' too' often', unfortunately,' now 'going' out of -fashion. It may be added that in. tracing'its etymology Mr.; Lovett said that: the word "doll" might .be taken as synonymous mth "idol," ■ meaning, simply., an. .image—generally speak- : mg;-. an image of the- human form.,