The Uncanny Valley
Souvenir Dolls
For as long as people have travelled, they have brought home souvenirs, and dolls were, and still are, a popular souvenir choice. People buy them as gifts for children, for the beauty of their ethnic costumes, for their popularity, and as mementos of their travels. Many cultures have distinct costumes, and others have distinct doll making traditions.
Russian nesting dolls, or “Matroyska,” are clearly associated with Russia. The Dominican Republic has recently become known for its faceless dolls. Japanese Kokeshi dolls are cylindrical, with round heads and no arms or legs. Keeping a Guatemalan Worry Doll under your pillow should help you rest easy. Hopi Kachina dolls represent immortal beings who control aspects of the natural world and society. They are given to young girls as teaching aids. These, and countless other doll traditions, are brought home as souvenirs, but the most popular type is the costume doll, dressed in local ethnic costumes.
Czechoslovakian Doll
Finnish doll, wearing traditional Sami costume
Ukrainian Doll
A Hilda S. Ege doll, Norwegian Setesdal Boy fiddler, wearing the traditional costume of the Setesdal region of Norway, showing local wisdom in the statement "The bigger the patch, the richer the man"
Hilda S. Ege doll wisdom statement "The bigger the patch, the richer the man"
Hilda S. Ege doll wisdom statement "The bigger the patch, the richer the man"
Another original Eros doll, this one shows the traditional costume of the Florentine area of Italy
Girl in traditional Polish dress, made in Italy
A little Dutch girl, right down to her wooden shoes
The little Dutch girl's wooden shoes
Welsh Doll
Guatemalan Worry Doll
Worry Doll size.