Doll-Cradle

Rocking cradle made of white lacquered iron. This more or less simple construction was made around 1920 – 1925. Originally imported from Europe, were these doll-cradles soon imitated. The museum cradle was bought in Semarang in 2007. Maker unknown. Length ± 70cm. Height ± 100cm These once very popular toy-cradles could naturally, only be bought by middle-class parents. They were usually sold without the textile decoration. It was the habit in Europe, that mother and daughter, the last one the proud owner of the new toy, would together make all the necessary trappings for the cradle, like the mattress and the with lace festooned cushion, the bedcover, etc. everything was made of white cotton. Only the outward decoration, covering the iron-work, was made of a fine textile network called “TULLE” or “TILL” in Indonesian language. (Tulle after the name of the city in the north of France, were this product was made). A large piece of tulle was fixed on the hook over the baby’s head. Satin bows and frills completed the outlook of this fairy-bed. A real cradle for the new born baby was traditionally a gift from the godmother. It were the uncle or the aunt who gave the toy-cradle to their godchild. Overhead, on the iron with a satin-bow decorated hook hung a bell, a silver angel’s face or another bauble, said to help the baby to train his observation skills (?). The often silver bell, seemingly pure decoration was in reality a survivor of a long forgotten tradition. It was what the Germans use to call “eine gewitter-glocke” or “a storm-bell”. It was the sound of the object that was supposed to protect the new-born in the cradle, against evil and especially against thunder storm.