The fascination of the miniature dollhouse
Over the years I have had the pleasure of meeting and meeting many miniatures enthusiasts. What fascinates you about seeing familiar objects in a tiny, realistic way?
Much more than a child’s toy, building dollhouses and ultimately decorating and furnishing them with a theme of your choice has become a hobby for adults. The only way to improve that is to have a daughter or granddaughter who can share that interest and passion with you.
Personally, my interest in miniatures lies in antique miniatures and dolls, rather than modern works. The strange thing about this is the fact that ancient pieces were rarely created with scale in mind, and scale is of the utmost importance to me when looking at modern miniatures.
The craftsmanship involved in creating tiny porcelain dolls, with posable limbs, often hand-inserted glass eyes, real mohair wigs is incredible.
Add to that the primitive conditions inside the factories in which many of these dolls were created, it adds to my amazement. Many of these little dolls have lasted over 100 years, been handled and played with, loved and often abandoned, only to turn up years later in an attic somewhere. Furniture from this same era was often handmade, often primitive, and many did not stand the test of time as well as the dolls did. Finding, owning and enjoying these pieces today is a pleasure.
Manufactured dollhouse furniture from this era was often made in Germany, as were the dolls. A dear friend of German origin brought me her childhood collection to help her sell. She is in her 90s, a lovely woman who still teaches piano, runs her own house and dresses her own dolls. She had a story to tell about each piece of furniture and remembers the hours she spent with her sister creating the tiny sheets, doll clothes and lampshades. I like to think that there are similar stories about every vintage piece that comes my way.
It’s also important to me that the miniatures are made of the material they are in real life.
If a bed represents a wooden one, I do not tolerate it in plastic. (sorry Chrysenbon) If the bathroom fixtures are porcelain pieces, then don’t make them out of wood! Realism is very important in my own collections.
Some enthusiasts enjoy making all of their own furniture and accessories, even their own dolls. This demanding craft can only be admired by those of us less talented, but it certainly makes its fascination obvious. Some artisans make pieces so exquisite that prices can fetch as much as their full-size counterparts. There are miniature artists, who paint on tiny canvases each work of art is a unique painting. Other artists paint on tiny plates, even buttons as canvases.
There are miniature artists who do miniature embroidery, weaving, rug making, and pottery, as well as woodworkers.
One thing I’ve found is that once someone picks up this hobby, it’s usually a lifelong obsession.
