A RARE 19th CENTURY SAILORS SEASHELL DOLL

A rare antique seashell work doll under its original dome, similar to works by sailors in the caribbean and Barbados, but most probably done by the salt workers of the southern coast of Brittany.

Many shellwork pieces, including detailed pictures and boxes, were produced in the Caribbean and other tropical, French-influenced ports where a wide variety of colorful shells were readily available. By the 1840s, such items were also produced on the Isle of Wight and in various French and European port towns.

Our characterful doll is covered from head to toe in tiny seashells, including on her face. She is also wearing a rather exotic head dress, whilst her body seems to be made of papier-mâché...

She stands 28cm tall within her dome, the latter being 36cm high. She is in lovely antique condition without losses.