Marguerite, a Tuck-Comb doll of 1810

 

Tuck comb dolls are a special style of peg wooden dolls, which are a type of wooden doll that originated in Germany and the Netherlands.  Peg wooden dolls began as simple lathe-turned dolls from the Val Gardena in the Alps.  These dolls were sold undressed.  Young girls would then make clothes for them.  In the United States, a simple version of peg wooden doll sold for one cent, and thus they were called penny dolls.  Peg wooden dolls are so called because wooden pegs are used to connect the arms and legs to the body.  Sometimes a single peg was used to connect both arms or both legs, the peg running through the torso.  In this case, the arms (or legs) moved in tandem, rather than separately.

Tuck comb dolls are peg wooden dolls that have carved hair combs.  Generally, the head and body are turned as one piece, with separately attached arms and legs.  The hair is generally painted with sometimes elaborate curly bangs and with a painted comb.  Tuck comb dolls appeared in the early part of the 19^th century.  They usually had elongated, graceful proportions, nicely carved details, painted slippers, and sometimes accessories such as wooden pendant earrings.  My tuck comb doll below is named Marguerite, after one of my French Andriot ancestors.  

Below is the tuck comb doll that I made from a kit by Gail Wilson.  She is not a wood doll, but rather has paper maché head, arms and legs on a cloth body.  She does have the style and proportions typical of a tuck comb doll.  She is wearing a slip typical of the 1810’s. 

Below are two close-ups of her face.  Before painting, I added paper clay to her bald head and put in striations, copying the style from an historic example that I found.  I also made the earrings from paper clay.  I painted the hair and facial features with acrylic paints, but cheated on the curlicue bangs and used a fine nib marking pen.

Here is Marguerite in her satin batiste gown.  It is my simplified version of a gown worn by Elizabeth Bennet in the 1995 version of Pride and Prejudice.  This style of gown was worn circa 1810.  The gown has a very high waist, as was the style in that historic era.  There are tucks set in the middle of the high bodice, directly under a squared neckline.  The straight sleeves are elbow length.  There is a white silk satin sash around the high waistline, which ties in a bow with long streamers in back.  The side view shows that the skirt is fuller in the back than in the front.  That also was very characteristic of the style then.

Below is a close-up of the embroidery on the skirt, the design for which came from a Susan Sirkis Wish Booklet.  Trying to get a clear photograph of white embroidery on white fabric is a bit difficult.