{"meta":{"version":"2.1","_links":{"self":{"href":"https://api.vam.ac.uk/v2/object/O34081"},"collection_page":{"href":"https://collections.vam.ac.uk/item/O34081/"}},"images":{"_primary_thumbnail":"https://framemark.vam.ac.uk/collections/2014HB0108/full/!100,100/0/default.jpg","_iiif_image":"https://framemark.vam.ac.uk/collections/2014HB0108/","_alt_iiif_image":[],"imageResolution":"high","_images_meta":[{"assetRef":"2014HB0108","copyright":"© Victoria and Albert Museum, London","sensitiveImage":false},{"assetRef":"2017KN2222","copyright":"©Victoria & Albert Museum, London","sensitiveImage":false}]},"see_also":{"_iiif_pres":"https://iiif.vam.ac.uk/collections/O34081/manifest.json","_alt_iiif_pres":[]}},"record":{"systemNumber":"O34081","accessionNumber":"MISC.330-1979","objectType":"Dancing doll","titles":[{"title":"Dancing Doll","type":"generic title"}],"summaryDescription":"","physicalDescription":"Representing a Black male with a hand carved and painted head, torso and limbs, jointed at the shoulders, hips and knees;  the facial features are carved with the eyes outlined with dark yellow and the mouth with red; the 'hair', put on when the doll was dressed in fabric clothes in the 1970s, is crocheted black wool glued to the head.  The entire doll is painted black, with a military or livery uniform indicated by a red-painted collar, belt, cuffs, buttons and stockings; the hands are clenched as though for marching and the feet are carved as heeled boots.  The operator holds the rod which fits into the hole in the doll's back, and stands the doll on a board which he or she taps to make it vibrate: this causes the doll's jointed limbs move.  This is the same principle as the Dancing Tommy.","artistMakerPerson":[{"name":{"text":"Brittain, William James","id":"AUTH338942"},"association":{"text":"maker","id":"x40240"},"note":"possibly"},{"name":{"text":"Morris","id":"AUTH338943"},"association":{"text":"maker","id":"x40240"},"note":"possibly"}],"artistMakerOrganisations":[],"artistMakerPeople":[],"materials":[{"text":"wood","id":"AAT11914"}],"techniques":[{"text":"carved","id":"x30667"},{"text":"painted","id":"x30138"}],"materialsAndTechniques":"wood, carved and painted black","categories":[{"text":"Black History","id":"THES48989"}],"styles":[],"collectionCode":{"text":"YVA","id":"THES48593"},"images":["2014HB0108","2017KN2222"],"imageResolution":"high","galleryLocations":[{"current":{"text":"006","id":"THES343531"},"free":"","case":"","shelf":"","box":""},{"current":{"text":"004","id":"THES343400"},"free":"","case":"","shelf":"","box":""}],"partTypes":[[{"text":"Doll","id":""}],[{"text":"dolls","id":"AAT211087"}],[{"text":"clothing","id":"x31631"}]],"contentWarnings":[{"apprise":"No","note":"07/08/2024 Description referred to the doll as representing 'a negro', amended to 'Black person'. Disclaimer and CW removed. Object History Note also included the following line: 'The doll was dressed in clothes made by the donor's mother to give it the character of a negro mammy.' This does not make sense in the context of a doll dressed in a military uniform, so was removed."},{"apprise":"","note":""},{"apprise":"","note":""}],"placesOfOrigin":[{"place":{"text":"England","id":"x28826"},"association":{"text":"hand carved","id":"x30667"},"note":""}],"productionDates":[{"date":{"text":"about 1840","earliest":"1840-01-01","latest":"1840-12-31"},"association":{"text":"hand carved","id":"x30667"},"note":""}],"associatedObjects":[],"creditLine":"","dimensions":[{"dimension":"height","value":"14½","unit":"in","qualifier":"","date":{"text":"","earliest":null,"latest":null},"part":"","note":""}],"dimensionsNote":"","marksAndInscriptions":[],"objectHistory":"The dancing doll was either made by William James Brittain or a person called Morris.  Both men were forebears of the donor, Miss Juliet Carrick Brittain and were connected with Wilberforce and the Dixon family of the Mason Dixon Line.","historicalContext":"","briefDescription":"Dancing doll representing a Black person in uniform, made in England ca.1840","bibliographicReferences":[],"production":"said to have been made in Hull\n\nAttribution note: Dancing dolls of this type were popular as a street entertainment\nReason For Production: Private","productionType":{"text":"Unique","id":"THES48864"},"contentDescription":"","contentPlaces":[],"associatedPlaces":[],"contentPerson":[],"associatedPerson":[],"contentOrganisations":[],"associatedOrganisations":[],"contentPeople":[],"associatedPeople":[],"contentEvents":[],"associatedEvents":[],"contentOthers":[],"contentConcepts":[],"contentLiteraryRefs":[],"galleryLabels":[],"partNumbers":["MISC.330-1979","MISC.330PART-1979"],"accessionNumberNum":"330","accessionNumberPrefix":"MISC","accessionYear":1979,"otherNumbers":[],"copyNumber":"","aspects":["WHOLE","Doll","Doll's clothing"],"assets":[],"recordModificationDate":"2026-04-02","recordCreationDate":"2000-03-17","availableToBook":false}}