{"meta":{"version":"2.1","_links":{"self":{"href":"https://api.vam.ac.uk/v2/object/O1528878"},"collection_page":{"href":"https://collections.vam.ac.uk/item/O1528878/"}},"images":null,"see_also":null},"record":{"systemNumber":"O1528878","accessionNumber":"B.18:1 to 4-2019","objectType":"Doll","titles":[],"summaryDescription":"Educational practice within Waldorf Steiner schools emphasises unhurried self-directed play, creativity, songs and rhythm games. Schools are equipped with simple, unformed natural materials.\r\n\r\nAs a movement, Steiner does not have many objects which recognisably belong to their pedagogy, although their dolls are very distinctive. Often made in collaboration with children, the dolls are always made from natural textiles and are soft and flexible. The facial features are intentionally blank and simple to behave as a sounding board for the children’s own feelings.  ","physicalDescription":"Male doll made from peach-coloured cotton jersey. The head has small stitched blue eyes and a red mouth, on top of the head is light brown hair made from wool. The doll wears a pair of blue denim dungarees with front patch pocket over an off-white knitted wool jumper. Underneath are a pair of blue and white checked underpants.","artistMakerPerson":[{"name":{"text":"Newton, Nicola","id":"AUTH357305"},"association":{"text":"maker","id":"AAT251917"},"note":""}],"artistMakerOrganisations":[],"artistMakerPeople":[],"materials":[{"text":"wool (textile)","id":"AAT243430"},{"text":"cotton (textile)","id":"AAT14067"}],"techniques":[{"text":"hand sewing","id":"AAT257459"},{"text":"machine sewing","id":"AAT257463"}],"materialsAndTechniques":"Wool and cotton","categories":[{"text":"Dolls","id":"THES274380"},{"text":"Children & Childhood","id":"THES48980"},{"text":"Education & Learning","id":"THES252542"}],"styles":[],"collectionCode":{"text":"YVA","id":"THES48593"},"images":[],"imageResolution":"low","galleryLocations":[{"current":{"text":"013","id":"THES325115"},"free":"","case":"","shelf":"","box":""},{"current":{"text":"013","id":"THES325115"},"free":"","case":"","shelf":"","box":""},{"current":{"text":"013","id":"THES325115"},"free":"","case":"","shelf":"","box":""},{"current":{"text":"013","id":"THES325115"},"free":"","case":"","shelf":"","box":""}],"partTypes":[[{"text":"doll","id":"AAT211087"}],[{"text":"dungarees","id":"x46087"}],[{"text":"jumper","id":"THES271574"}],[{"text":"underpants","id":"AAT220740"}]],"contentWarnings":[{"apprise":"","note":""}],"placesOfOrigin":[{"place":{"text":"Edinburgh","id":"x28816"},"association":{"text":"made","id":"x28654"},"note":""}],"productionDates":[{"date":{"text":"2013-2014","earliest":"2013-01-01","latest":"2014-12-31"},"association":{"text":"made","id":"x28654"},"note":""}],"associatedObjects":[{"object":{"text":"B.17:1-2019","id":"O1528876"},"association":"Set"}],"creditLine":"Given by Edinburgh Steiner School Trust","dimensions":[{"dimension":"Height","value":"380","unit":"mm","qualifier":"","date":{"text":"21/09/2020","earliest":"2020-09-21","latest":"2020-09-21"},"part":"","note":"Measured flat"},{"dimension":"Width","value":"295","unit":"mm","qualifier":"","date":{"text":"21/09/2020","earliest":"2020-09-21","latest":"2020-09-21"},"part":"","note":"Measured flat with arms outstretched"},{"dimension":"Depth","value":"80","unit":"mm","qualifier":"","date":{"text":"21/09/2020","earliest":"2020-09-21","latest":"2020-09-21"},"part":"","note":"Measured flat"}],"dimensionsNote":"","marksAndInscriptions":[],"objectHistory":"Given by the Edinburgh Steiner School Trust to mark the centenary of the opening of the first Steiner school in 2019.\n\nThe dolls belonged to a child attending the trust’s early years playgroup and later their Kindergarten. They were made by a Steiner teacher and given to the child as a gift from their grandmother, herself a former Steiner teacher. The female doll was the first to be made, with the male dole following a few months later. Some of the clothes they are dressed in were made by the child's grandmother.","historicalContext":"The first Waldorf Steiner school was established in 1919 in Stuttgart, Germany; the first appeared in the UK in the mid-1920s. A century later it is the largest independent school movement in the world, with around 2000 kindergartens and 1200 schools. The founder of the pedagogy, Rudolf Steiner (1861-1925), developed a central tenet of ‘anthroposophy’, a semi-spiritual ‘path of self-knowledge’ which favours unhurried self-directed play, creativity and songs and rhythm games. Steiner environments support this approach through provision of simple, unformed, natural materials to engage the child’s senses, the removal of electronic gadgets, and a decoration of calming, muted colours. Teachers are supposed to be ‘worthy of imitation’, teaching their classes by example rather than by instruction, encouraging and facilitating children’s imaginative play. \r\n\r\nTeachers are encouraged make toys for the children in their classes, often with the help of the children themselves. As a movement, Steiner does not have many objects which recognisably belong to the pedagogy, although the most distinctive is their dolls. These items are tools through which children may process their emotions through roleplay and to facilitate imitation. They are always made from natural fibres, wools and cottons, are soft and flexible and their facial features are left intentionally blank and simple to create a sounding-board for children’s own feelings. Steiner dolls are made with a diversity of skin tones and hair styles and colours. ","briefDescription":"Male Steiner Waldorf doll, made by Nicola Newton, wool and other natural textiles, Edinburgh, 2013-2014","bibliographicReferences":[],"production":"","productionType":{"text":"Unique","id":"THES48864"},"contentDescription":"","contentPlaces":[],"associatedPlaces":[],"contentPerson":[],"associatedPerson":[],"contentOrganisations":[],"associatedOrganisations":[],"contentPeople":[],"associatedPeople":[],"contentEvents":[],"associatedEvents":[],"contentOthers":[{"text":"children","id":"AAT25945"},{"text":"dolls","id":"AAT211087"}],"contentConcepts":[{"text":"education","id":"x39461"}],"contentLiteraryRefs":[],"galleryLabels":[],"partNumbers":["B.18:1-2019","B.18:2-2019","B.18:3-2019","B.18:4-2019"],"accessionNumberNum":"18","accessionNumberPrefix":"B","accessionYear":2019,"otherNumbers":[],"copyNumber":"","aspects":["WHOLE"],"assets":[],"recordModificationDate":"2025-11-13","recordCreationDate":"2020-02-05","availableToBook":false}}