What is a Doll?

A doll can be broadly defined as a model of a human being, created from a wide variety of materials including, among others, wood, clay, porcelain, china, rubber, plastic, paper and cloth. In one form or another, dolls date back to our earliest civilisations. Traditionally, dolls have been used as recreational toys for children, where baby or toddler dolls are particularly popular among young girls, whereas action dolls and figures are typically preferred by young boys. Collecting dolls has also however become a hobby or pastime for many adults, whether for nostalgic value or historical importance, or even as investments in anticipation of growth in value. Moreover, dolls may be adopted in various professions, including anatomically-correct dolls used in medicine for educational or training purposes, wooden mannequins used by artists for assistance with drawing the human figure, and life-sized mannequins used in retail and fashion for displaying clothing.