Articulated Doll

The limbs of this doll are movable, thanks to a system of elastic gut bands that meet in an opening in the head. Even the fingers and toes can be moved; indeed, so can the individual joints of the fingers. Articulated dolls of this kind were common in sixteenth- century artists’ workshops. Because of its small format and the minute attention to working detail, however, this Berlin example does not seem suitable for daily workshop purposes. It is one of a number of similar pieces, some of which also have a male counterpart. These deftly contrived human couples were very probably conceived and made as collector’s items from the outset. They afford eloquent proof of a growing interest in the human body during the Renaissance. Moreover, they indicate a fascinating milestone in the evolution of small-scale sculptures as artistic works in their own right.