Name: Sock Doll
Made by and When: Unknown, pre-1940s
Material: Black cotton sock, stuffing, embroidery thread
Marks: None
Height: 13 inches
Hair, Eyes, Mouth: No hair; white embroidery thread creates almond-shaped eyes; two dots of red embroidery thread create the nose, and red embroidery thread forms the outline of an open mouth.
Clothes: Black cotton socks stuffed with unknown materials (possibly cotton batting) create a nonremovable shirt and pants. The shirt has four pink nonfunctional buttons made from embroidery thread. Pink embroidery thread attaches the stuffed-sock arms to the body, trims the hemline of the shirt, and the upper thigh area of the stuffed-sock pants. A red satin ribbon is tied around each ankle.
Other: Manufactured toys were considered a luxury for some families during the early 1900s and decades prior. Grandparents, parents, and others used household and found materials to make dolls for children. Sock dolls are examples of early handmade dolls. Facial features were stitched, and sometimes buttons were used for the eyes and/or nose. This example is a very primitive sock doll whose maker used only black socks, stuffing, embroidery thread, and ribbon to create.
Gallery
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