Newborn Dolls, Adorable, New or Pre-Loved

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Newborn Dolls

- And a Little History of Doll Making

With each passing year, Newborn Dolls are becoming more lifelike and more popular - not only with young girls but also amongst adult collectors. The making of Newborn and Reborn dolls has become a fascinating hobby and a unique art form. For some talented artists it has even developed into a lucrative full-time career.

People have been making and buying dolls for their children for thousands of years. The first dolls were modeled after the gods and were used as instructional aides. Years later, dolls became playthings for children of both sexes. They were made of primitive materials, often clay, wood or even fur. Unfortunately, few specimens have been recovered from the prehistoric period.

However, archeologists have uncovered dozens of dolls from ancient Egypt. Since most of them were found in graves or tombs, these dolls were well-preserved. Historians also remind us that whenever an Egyptian was buried with an item, it meant it was a cherished or prized possession. These early Egyptian dolls were often made out of flat pieces of wood which were then painted and decorated with hair. The hair was made of strings of wooden beads or strings of clay. The earliest of these dolls were found in tombs dating back to 2000 BC.

It was not until Greek and Roman times that dolls became the province of girls. They played with dolls in their childhood and then when they were old enough they offered them as an oblation to their favorite goddess. Most of the dolls that have been recovered from these periods were found in the graves of little girls.

But even in the most primitive dolls, historians have noticed a common theme. The focus of doll making, whether done be a parent or a professional, has always been to make the dolls as lifelike as possible. Dolls with removable clothes and movable limbs that date back to 600 B.C. have been found.

Centuries later, Europe had become the hub of the doll making universe. In fact, dolls were so popular by the 16th and 17th century that for the first time there was such a thing as a professional doll maker. Of course, dolls were still made of wood, but the craftsmanship and attention to detail was beyond anything that had been produced in the past.

By the 19th century, a new material hit the scene. It was called porcelain and it was made by firing special clays at extremely high temperatures. Of course, these dolls were not children's playthings—they were quite fragile. Oftentimes, they were used as simple decorative pieces.

But the most important innovation in the history of doll making had nothing to do with a material—it had to do with the subject. Before the late nineteenth century, most dolls were made by and modeled after adults. But the famous French "bebe" doll of the 1880s depicted a much younger girl. After bebe dolls, almost all dolls were modeled after children.

In the later lean years, rag dolls were a common and inexpensive gift mothers could make for their daughters. They were generally constructed of linen or cotton and they only took a few hours to make. More often than not, they were a little girl's first toy.

Doll making became a huge industry in the United States after the Second World War. For years, manufacturers had been experimenting with hard plastics, and when they discovered that consumers actually preferred them over other materials, the hard plastic doll became a hit. Not only was it easier and cheaper to make, but it was also far more durable than any of the earlier materials.

Once it was clear that consumers preferred plastics, doll makers stopped focusing so much on the material and turned their attention to special features. In the coming years they would introduce dolls that actually acted and reacted, i.e., they were motorized. Some of them cried, talked, moved, drank, and even wet themselves. From clean, quiet clay dolls to dirty crying ones. That's progress!

Reborn Dolls have developed into quite an amazing art form today. The realism of the baby dolls these days is incredible. Here is a short video showcasing Reborn Artist Judy from Comfy Clouds Nursery. Judy has been creating reborn babies for over 5 years. Enjoy her skillful work in this video presentation!

Gallery of a Reborn Baby Doll Artist