Exploring an 1820 Mache Doll

 But First~ Her Pantaloon!

Long ,lean, and quite grubby...but still, utterly charming. To answer before you all ask~ NO! I will not be washing her clothes. Unless its something horrible or distracting, I never wash any of my antique textiles. To me, doing so removes a certain history of the piece~ the age...the patina. Grubbiness and stains can tell how a piece of clothing was worn...in come cases, can be the only way to determine what was worn as the front or the back of a garment. Here the grubbiness of the bottom of the legs shows what length her gown and chemise were worn at. Fitting to the period, legs are long and straight, reaching down to the ankle. Front is closed, with a full back opening.

 The opening to the back, which extends from waistband to the crotch, closes with a single hook & eye. Note that both edges of the opening are salvedge edges.

 The bottom of her 'trousers' as they could have also been called, are covered in a band of netting. So very plain, yet it makes them ever so much more feminine and delicate.