51/206

This is one of a pair of dollies (along with 51/207) made to ornament the roof of a thatched cottage by a Buckinghamshire thatcher, Garnet Cresswell. It is made from a large handful of straw bound in a round shape and with the tops plaited into each other to form a knob. Dollies like this would have originally been used to decorate a corn-rick, and the custom then moved to decorating thatched roofs.

1 corn dolly: good condition

MERL 'Catalogue index' card – 'These dollies were made to ornament the roof of a thatched cottage by a Buckinghamshire thatcher. They resemble moulded knobs or finials, and would be placed at each end of the roof ridge. Originally they would have been used to decorate a corn-rick, but that custom has passed from the rick to the thatched roof. They have therefore lost any possibly symbolic meaning, but in shape they are probably a modified form of dolly. The last corn cut was made into the shape of a doll or KIRN BABY, or cock, crown or one of many other shapes. The doll might be decked with flowers and wrapped in woman’s garments, and took its part in the celebrations of harvest time. // Other names for the dolly are KERN BABY, CORN POPPET or MELL. // These dollies are made from a large handful of straw bound in a round shape with the tops plaited into each other to form a knob. They measure 9.5 inches in length.', MERL list / description [Massingham Collection, circa 1951] - 'Museum of English Rural Life // Equipment to be loaned to the Cotswold Tradition Exhibition // Cat Ref. No.: // 51/206 M // [tick] Finial Dolly [Cleaned] [tick] ...', MERL list / description [Massingham Collection, circa 1951] - '[insert] MASSINGHAM FILE [end insert] // THE COTSWOLD TRADITION // AN EXHIBITION AT CIRENCESTER PARK // MAY-SEPTEMBER 1951 ... // RECEIPT. // Received with gratitude the following articles, collected from Reading University on the 29th April, 1951: // ... Rick Finials. ... // Loaned by The Massingham Collection.', MERL list / description [Massingham Collection, October 1989] – 'ACC. NO.: 51/206// NAME: DOLLY // NEG NO.: 35/22 // STORAGE: '

Buckinghamshire

1930-01-01 - 1939-12-31

1930s