Bata Shoe Museum Gets All Dolled Up with New Exhibition Exploring the World of Dolls

Bata Shoe Museum Gets All Dolled Up with New Exhibition Exploring the World of Dolls Not limited to child’s play, dolls have been used since time immemorial around the world for a wide range of purposes.

Their removable clothes, including footwear, bring delight to people due to their diminutive size, and many of these accessories have become collectable in their own right. Playing with dolls, however, has a greater impact than simply offering a distraction.

Dolls have historically promoted complex cultural ideas about gender, body image and social status, and many have been used to promote fashion consumption. Today, doll manufacturers in the West are making efforts to be more inclusive, featuring dolls with disabilities, gender fluid dolls and dolls that promote equality.

The popularity of outfitting avatars in virtual games is also dramatically expanding the world of doll play. “The museum has a number of extraordinary dolls and miniature shoes in its collection,” says Elizabeth Semmelhack, Director and Senior Curator of the Bata Shoe Museum…