According to World Book Online, “The earliest known doll-like figures are wooden images found in Egyptian graves dating from about 2000 B.C.”(1) It should be noted, that there’s actually an even older articulated “puppet” that I wrote about last week. However, that item has not been classified by archaeologists as a “doll” per se.
These, however, are actually called “paddle dolls” because they’re shaped, well, like a paddle. The images in today’s blog post show a paddle doll that’s part of the collection at the Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York City.
But this particular example, with its perfectly in-tact beaded hair and its finely painted details on the body portion of the doll is actually a rarity. Many of these dolls have been found, but few are in such fantastic condition.
Often the hair is missing or shabby, and the painted details are lost over time. According to Megan Clark, an expert who researches paddle dolls through the University of Liverpool, “No two [paddle dolls] appear the same,” but “they all feature varying combinations of shapes, decorations, motifs, states of preservations, and additional features.”(2)
The latest studies indicate that these dolls were not play toys, but rather, because they resemble menat necklaces, it’s believed that they were strictly used for ceremonial purposes. “It has been suggested that paddle dolls were an accoutrement of troops of singers and dancers who performed at religious ceremonies associated with the goddess Hathor.”(3)
To explain further, the beaded hair would slap against the paddle, creating a percussion instrument sound. This would be part of a dance ritual for the Egyptian goddess Hathor.
So although these are the oldest “dolls” ever discovered by archaeologists, they’re not dolls in the sense of a child’s plaything. They’re more of a representation of a human figure with a specific purpose related to religious and ceremonial rituals.
If you’d like to learn more about Egyptian paddle dolls, I highly recommend viewing Megan Clark’s video essay on the Egypt Centre’s YouTube channel. Be advised, though, her research goes into mature topics that are perhaps not for family viewing.
I found it fascinating though, and I think you will too!
What did you think of the Egyptian paddle dolls? Do you think they’re beautiful? Ugly? Or maybe you were surprised by their two-dimensional appearance and very short arms.
Do you think children played with similar dolls four thousand years ago? Why do you think we haven’t found any dolls older than this ritual doll? Please leave a few comments!
1. Izen, Judith. “Doll.” World Book Student, 2024,
https://www-worldbookonline-com.lili.idm.oclc.org/student/article?id=ar163080. Accessed 23 June 2024.
2. Clark, Megan. “Paddle Dolls in Ancient Egypt: Gaudy or Godly? – Megan Clark Zoom Lecture (12 May 2020).” The Egypt Centre. 23 June 2024, Liverpool, United Kingdom.
3. Artist unknown. “Paddle Doll” [Medium: Wood, mud, linen string, paint]. 2000 BCE. Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York, NY. Associated images are in the public domain.
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Wonderful article about dolls. IMO children’s dolls may have been made of cloth and straw and other biodegradable things, so no wonder there are none or few to be found, plus beloved dolls tend to get a lot of use and may have disintegrated through time. Dolls may also have been made out of mud by poorer children, so finding their remains would also be hard to do. A fascinating subject.
I didn’t think about mud as a medium. Thanks for giving us all this food for thought.
Love this paddle doll! Now I want to reroot a Barbie of mine this way.
Probably they had my patience in cutting longer arms or they simply broke down more easily.
Probably no older dolls survived because they were made of perishable materials and they did not last or maybe they are just waiting a bit more to be discovered.
“Now I want to reroot a Barbie of mine this way.” — That’s an ambitious project! I have not found the courage, yet, to re-root my own dolls. I realize there are helpful tutorials on YouTube that show you how to do it, but even as a child, I found it hard to cut my dolls’ hair.