Doll-A-Day 2023 #131: Crepereia Tryphaena's Doll

   I saw this doll recently online, and thought she was pretty interesting. She is known as Crepereia Tryphaena's doll.

At 23 centimeters, she is just over 9 inches tall, about the size of a vintage Skipper doll.

  She looks wooden, and was originally believed to be so. She was later discovered to be made of ivory.

  This doll was found in Rome in 1889, but she is far older than that. From her hair style she is estimated to have been made in the second century AD. She was found when workers excavating to build The Palace of Justice and the Umberto Bridge uncovered several sarcophagi. Two were buried together, as if it had been a double funeral. In one of them was the skeleton of a young woman, around 20 years old. Her name was Crepereia Tryphaena. 

  Next to Crepereia's body was found the doll, and what was left of a small ivory box, or 'casket', believed to be the doll's kit. 

It contained two small bone combs, two silver mirrors, two tiny pearls, parts of an earring, and two glass beads.

  On one of her fingers the doll was wearing a ring, with a key, of the type used for jewelry boxes in her day. I assume it's to open the ivory casket found with her.

  The doll is fully jointed, with metal pins holding the limbs on.

She has a finely carved face, hands and feet, but a plainer torso, causing speculation that she had a wardrobe at some point.

 

It does appear she had an earring at some point.

  There are a couple of theories about the doll. One is that she was buried next to her owner because the woman was due to have been married, (a theory also pushed forward because Crepereia's finger bore a ring with the name Filetus, who is supposed by some to have been her intended groom.), but died before her wedding, and she did not have the chance to donate her toys to the gods in a 'farewell to childhood' ceremony. But there is also a theory that the doll is not a toy, but a work of art, and perhaps a portrait of someone. Maybe Crepereia herself?  

  If you want to see this doll in person, she is permanently displayed at the Centrale Montemartini Museum in Rome.

That's today's doll, and no, I definitely don't own this one!