My Doll Cottage

29/05/2026

🏺 Fun Fact Friday: Why Is Porcelain Often Called "China"?

Have you ever heard someone describe an antique doll as having a "china head" and wondered why?

The answer goes back more than 1,000 years to China, where true porcelain was first developed during the Tang and Song dynasties. Chinese artisans perfected a remarkable ceramic made from kaolin clay and fired at extremely high temperatures, creating a material that was strong, smooth, and slightly translucent.

For centuries, this beautiful white ceramic was highly prized and exported around the world along the famous Silk Road and later by European trading companies. Because Europeans first encountered this fine ceramic through imports from China, the material itself became commonly known simply as "china."

By the 18th and 19th centuries, European manufacturers in countries such as Germany, France, and England were producing their own porcelain dolls. Collectors began referring to the glazed porcelain heads as "china heads," a term still widely used today.

China dolls have a glossy glazed surface, often with painted black hair and delicate facial features.

At My Doll Cottage, our collection includes beautiful examples of china dolls that help tell the story of how one of the world's most treasured materials became part of childhood history.

26/05/2026

This week on the blog, we’re exploring the story behind the Knickbocker Toy Company and how they helped change the way children connected with their toys.

While many early toys were simple and unbranded, Knickerbocker became known for bringing familiar characters into play — from storybooks, television, and film. Suddenly, children weren’t just playing with dolls or plush toys… they were playing with characters they already knew and loved.

This shift helped shape the beginning of licensed toys — something that is now a huge part of the toy industry today.

From soft plush to vinyl figures, their range reflects a time when entertainment and play first started to merge.

If you grew up with character toys, this is where it really began.

Read more on the blog and take a step back into the toys that brought stories to life.

25/05/2026

Artefact of the Week 🧺

c.1930s “My Doll’s” Nursing Set – Japan

This beautifully boxed miniature set captures a moment in childhood where play mirrored real life in the most caring way.

Produced in Japan during the early 20th century, sets like this were part of a growing export market, with small, detailed toys made for children around the world.

Inside the box is everything needed to care for a doll — a tiny baby, feeding bottle, rattle, cloth, and bath. Each piece reflects the everyday routines children observed at home, from feeding to bathing and nurturing.
By the 1930s, playsets like this were becoming more common, shifting from single dolls to complete “care” experiences. Children weren’t just holding dolls — they were learning responsibility, empathy, and routine through play.

The bright, illustrated box is just as important as the contents. Designed to catch the eye, it shows how toys were becoming both playful and commercial, appealing to both children and the adults purchasing them.
Small in size, but rich in detail — this set tells the story of how caring play became a central part of childhood.

View more on the website:�https://www.mydollcottage.com.au/dolls-and-toys/c-1930-my-dolls-nursing-set-miniature-doll-accessories-set-japan

21/05/2026

Fun Fact Friday 🧸

Did you know Knickbocker Toy Company became famous for bringing some of the most recognisable characters into children’s homes during the mid-20th century?

Rather than focusing only on traditional dolls, Knickerbocker specialised in licensed character toys — including figures from storybooks, television, and film. This helped shift toys from simple playthings to familiar characters children already knew and loved.

From soft plush toys to vinyl dolls, they played a big role in turning entertainment into interactive play.

It’s one of the early examples of something we now see everywhere — toys based on popular characters — a trend that still shapes the toy industry today.

19/05/2026

Blog of the Week 🧸

The Psychology of Doll Collecting: Why We Cherish Dolls

At My Doll Cottage, collecting isn’t just about the dolls — it’s about what they represent.

This week’s blog explores the deeper meaning behind doll collecting. While it may seem like a nostalgic hobby, it often connects to something much more personal — memory, creativity, and a sense of identity.
For many, a doll is more than an object. It can represent a moment in time, a connection to childhood, or even a way of expressing creativity and storytelling. As explored in the blog, collecting becomes a way of preserving not just history, but emotion.

There’s also a therapeutic side to collecting. Research shows that dolls and imaginative play can support emotional wellbeing, offering comfort, creativity, and even a form of self-expression or healing. (Psycologytoday.com posted 11/July 2023)

Whether it’s restoring a forgotten piece, researching its history, or simply enjoying its presence, every doll holds a story — and every collection becomes part of a much bigger one.

Read the full blog here:�https://www.mydollcottage.com.au/post/the-psychology-of-doll-collecting-why-we-cherish-dolls

At first glance, doll collecting might seem like a nostalgic pastime — but it’s far more profound. In The Psychology of Doll Collecting: Why We Cherish Dolls, we explore how dolls connect us to memory, purpose, and community. From the comfort of rediscovering a childhood favourite to the satisfa...

17/05/2026

Artefact of the Week ✏️

c.1900–1930 School Slate Writing Boards – United States

Before exercise books, laptops, and even lined paper, children learned to write on simple slate boards like these.

Made from smooth stone set into a wooden frame, school slates were the everyday classroom tool of the early 1900s. Students used slate pencils to practise handwriting, spelling, and arithmetic, then wiped the surface clean to use again.

They weren’t just practical — they were essential.

Paper was expensive and not always readily available, so slates allowed lessons to be repeated over and over without waste.

The second piece in this display includes counting beads across the top — an early learning aid similar in concept to an abacus, helping children understand numbers through movement and touch.

These boards tell a quiet but powerful story of education at the time:�learning was repetitive, hands-on, and resourceful.
Every mark was temporary — but every lesson stayed.

View more on the website:�https://www.mydollcottage.com.au/dolls-and-toys/c-1900-1920-school-slate-writing-board-united-states
�https://www.mydollcottage.com.au/dolls-and-toys/c-1930-school-slate-with-counting-beads-united-states

16/05/2026

14/05/2026

Fun Fact Friday 🛒✨

Did you know today, 15 May, marks the birthday of Joseph Campbell, born 1817— a name many of us recognise from one of the most iconic supermarket brands?

It’s the perfect reminder that the miniature supermarket trend we’re seeing today isn’t new at all.

Branded miniatures have been part of children’s play for over a century.

By the early 20th century — and especially by the mid-1900s — familiar household products were already being recreated in dollhouses, toy kitchens and miniature shop sets. Labels, packaging, and brand names were scaled down into tiny versions of the real thing.

It wasn’t accidental.

When children played “shop” or “house,” they reached for what they knew. The brands they saw in everyday life naturally became part of their imagination — building recognition and familiarity from a young age.

Today’s supermarket mini collectables may feel like a new trend, but they’re part of a much longer story of play, memory and everyday life.

Everything old becomes new again — just smaller. 🏠✨

12/05/2026

New Blog!!! 🧸

This week we’re taking a closer look at the Horseman Dolls Company — a name that helped shape the modern doll industry.

Founded in the United States in the early 20th century, Horseman became especially important in the late 1940s when doll making began to change. As new plastics became available after the war, Horseman was among the first companies to move away from composition and into hard plastic production.

This shift meant dolls were more durable, more affordable, and better suited to everyday play — a big change from earlier fragile materials.

One of their most recognised dolls, Joanie, reflects this transition. With a more lifelike appearance and sturdy construction, she represents a new era where dolls became part of daily childhood rather than something to be handled carefully and preserved.

Horseman continued to grow through the 1950s, producing baby dolls, toddler dolls, and character dolls that were enjoyed by families across America and beyond.

It’s a great example of how materials and manufacturing shaped the toys children grew up with — and how one company helped lead that change.

Do you remember dolls like this, or do you have one in your collection?