The Door of Hope dolls provide a 3-D record of life in China before the cultural revolution destroyed these life-styles. These authentically dressed dolls realistically portrayed typical Chinese people of all ages and classes. The working class dolls document the dress of people who are often not even mentioned in history books. The bride and groom were the most elaborately dressed dolls in their brightly colored, embroidered silk outfits.

The "Door of Hope" Christian mission was started in 1900 by 5 missionary ladies in Shanghai, China. These missionaries taught destitute, illiterate girls and women a trade so they could support themselves in an honorable manner. They were taught how to take care of themselves and given a basic education. Unlike so many missionaries, these missionary women did not want to change the girls into images of western children. Rather, they wanted these children to take pride in who they were and their cultural heritage.

The Door of Hope dolls were assembled and dressed by these young women after they were taught the necessary skills. One of the teachers of embroidery and knitting was 17 year old Pearl S. Buck who later went on to fame as an author, writing extensively about life in China.

The average heights are 10-1/2 inches to 13 inches for adults, 8-9 inches for children and 5 to 6-1/2 inches for Baby, Kindergarten Child, and Small Child in Silk.

The dolls have wood heads and hands created by local wood carvers hired by the mission. The skill and style of the carvers affected the appearance of these dolls. Most are wonderfully and artfully carved, but I have seen photos of a few large eye types that seemed amateurish with poorly placed facial features.

Early Door of Hope dolls are more Chinese looking and slightly taller. They have small slanted eyes and have tiny, "bound" feet authentically reflecting the old cruel Chinese custom of binding a girl baby's feet to prevent growth producing small malformed adult feet. This was considered a sign of beauty in women.

Later dolls seem "westernized". The feet are no longer bound and the eyes are larger and more alert.

Although most collectors "ooh and aah" over the fabulous Door of Hope costumes, I love their faces. What I want to stress is that each doll is a unique one of a kind art work. They are carved with "just enough" details. They have so much personality. Each doll's portrays a unique individual. I believe the carvers sculpted each head as a portrait. I have provided many facial close ups to prove this point. I also like the way these artists combined carved hair/head dress details with embedded hair and cloth head dresses.

Old couple photo thanks to The Smith Collection

Mourner photo thanks to The Smith Collection

Rice Farmer photo thanks to The Smith Collection

Woman in Silk photo thanks to Heather Hogan

Man in Silk photo thanks to Heather Hogan

Woman in Silk photo thanks to Heather Hogan

Wealthy Boy in silk and School girl in cotton photo thanks toThe Smith Collection

Kindergarten Child photo thanks to Heather Hogan

Amah with Baby and Kindergarten Child photo thanks to The Smith Collection

Amah and Baby Photo thanks to the Funk collection see detail of this baby below photo thanks to the Funk Collection

Door of Hope Baby photo by Jean Lotz

Baby's Carrier Details photo by Jean Lotz

Baby removed from the Amah's carrier Note the wonderful animal head slippers Photo thanks to the Funk Collection

Young girl in silk Photo thanks to the Funk Collection

BRIDE, GROOM and CHILD use of photo permitted by Theriaults

Chinese people portrayed by the Door of Hope Dolls: bride bridegroom  young lady  young man  young lady in long garment  old lady  old man  girl in silk  boy in silk  small girl in silk  small boy in silk  schoolgirl in cotton  schoolboy in cotton  baby  kindergarten child  amah (a Chinese servant)  amah and baby  table boy  Buddhist priest  mourner  widow  policeman  farmer  Manchu woman  modern girl bride  In time, we hope to illustrate this page with photos of each of these different dolls.

Bridegroom photo thanks to Heather Hogan

Door of Hope Bride photo thanks to Heather Hogan

The Bride is often displayed incorrectly or not authentically! The embroidered veil is supposed to be worn in the front to completely hide the face, but few collectors want to hide her and intentionally turn the head dress backwards.

A more modern bride was later added to the Door of hope doll line with a headress without a veil.

FOR MORE INFORMATION ABOUT DOOR OF HOPE DOLLS:

• J.A.D.E. Door of Hope Dolls web page.
• Doll Reader (Feb. 96) for "Shanghai Treasures Door of Hope Dolls" an article loaded with history and photos of these fabulous dolls.
• UFDC also offers a slide show on these dolls to its membership for a rental fee. All UFDC slide shows are very well photographed and the scripts are well written and informative.
• Antique Doll Collector published a set of 2 articles about the Door Of Hope Mission, the dolls that were created, the people who helped and those who were helped.
• Vol. 1, No. 1, Nov/Dec 1997 - Door Of Hope dolls
• Vol. 1, No. 1, Nov/Dec 1997 - Door Of Hope dolls Part II

Door of Hope Mission Imitations (Emulations)

Cheap Imitation of Door of Hope Dolls

In the article, "Shanghai Treasures" (DOLL READER 2/96), Joyce Sefton noted that a doll looking like a DOOR OF HOPE was found. It was the same size and had the same general appearance of these dolls but had non removable, machine sewn clothes and the head and limbs were attached with tacks instead of thread.
 
 
 

Fabulous All Wood Ball Jointed Chinese "Bebe-Style"

These "bebe-style" Chinese wooden dolls are fabulous. This 14" doll has a carved wooden swivel head, black painted intaglio eyes, one stroke brows, well modeled nose and mouth in a sweet gentle smile. His has detailed carving for his ears and the topmost patch of hair that is painted soft black.

His facial features resemble DOOR OF HOPE dolls but has an all wood anatomically detailed body. The body was made of 2 pieces held together with pegs. The jointing (see inset) resembles that of French bebes with strung ball joints.
 

Jointed Chinese Boy Photograph courtesy of Theriault's Annapolis, MD

He is dressed in detailed authentic costume in several layers of cotton and silk clothing, with twisted metal bracelets on both wrists. Theriaults dates this doll c.1920 as a contemporary to the DOOR OF HOPE dolls. Rosalie Whyel has another one of these French bebe-style dolls accompanied by a letter from the doll maker, which can be seen in the book "THE ROSE UNFOLDS". Both of these dolls look very similar to the carving style of early, small eye, Door of Hope dolls. Did the Door of Hope Mission issue a small set of high end "bebe" dolls using their best carvers and seamstresses? Or did someone sway the most talented workers out of the mission project to work on these very special dolls? (Is this what caused the mission dolls to change the carving style to the large eye type?)