Doll – Girl – Bride

In many parts of the world it was common, well into the 20th century, for girls to be married in their pre-adolescent years. A number of communities developed a special custom: “bride” dolls that prepared the girl for the wedding and eased some of her anxiety. Bride dolls from the Museum's collection – mainly from Morocco and Yemen – are displayed here together with bridal outfits and archival photographs.

“Bride” doll, Sana’a, Yemen, early 20th century, Assorted fabrics, cotton wool, beads, sequins, glass, metal, branches, paper, metal-thread embroidery, The Carl Rathjens Collection, on permanent loan from Salman Schocken, Tel Aviv