Mid-17th century wooden 'Baby House' doll - just 14cm long - sells in Newbury for whopping £14,880 – over double its pre-sale estimate
A mid-17th century wooden 'Baby House' doll, just 14cm high, that was discovered during the refurbishment of Stanton Harcourt Manor, Oxfordshire in a room that hadn’t been touched since the 1950s sold at Special Auction Service in Newbury on Thursday (26th June) for £14,880 – over double its pre-sale estimate.
The doll is thought to be Charles II or his brother James II and was being sold by descent. It was bought by an American Private Collector.
Stanton Harcourt Manor had barely been touched since the family moved back there after the war in 1953 and the vendor found this doll in a room full of odds and ends 20 years ago when they emptied the house to restore it. They thought it had to be something special as it is encased in a glass box, so it was kept safe.
The family had no record of Baby House, which is what the earliest dolls' houses were called. Initially they were made for adults’ amusement and to display fine miniatures, the dolls did not come along until later. This example may have been bought as a memento of a royal occasion. He was certainly considered an important item and could even have been a gift from the royal household.
Another highlight of the auction was The Dower House, originally belonging to famous dolls' house collector Vivien Greene, wife of author Graham Greene which sold for £12,400 to a German collector.