Homes & Antiques

How to collect: Dolls’ houses

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Up until the 1830s, a dolls’ house was called a ‘baby’ house, baby being the word for doll. In the late 17th and 18th centuries, ‘baby’ houses were commission­ed by some of the grandest families in the country. They were a hobby for the women of the household, who collected miniature furniture, porcelain and silver to furnish them with. The rarest houses aren’t cheap – recently a Palladian ‘baby’ house, c1720-40, sold at Sotheby’s for five figures, while a Regency dolls’ house made £12,500 at C&T Auctioneer­s. Home to six dolls, this fully furnished house had a kitchen with a tinplate range and moulded food on the table. In the 19th century, dolls’ houses became more modest in size and the dominion of children. There are plenty of small houses to be found at auctions and antiques shops, ranging from £60 to £1,000. Twentieth-century names to look out for include G&J Lines, whose houses remain very affordable, and sought-after Tri-ang. In general, dolls’ houses regularly come up for sale at specialist auctions run by Vectis, Special Auction Services and C&T Auctioneer­s, which has a Dolls, Dolls Houses and Miniatures sale on 14th November.

 ??  ?? ABOVE The Ballyedmon­d ‘Baby’ house that sold at Sotheby’s last year for £37,500; this Tri-ang ‘Tudor’-design dolls’ house sold for £1,000 at Special Auction Services; a Regency dolls’ house, c1820, that sold for £12,500 at C&T Auctioneer­s in June 2017.
ABOVE The Ballyedmon­d ‘Baby’ house that sold at Sotheby’s last year for £37,500; this Tri-ang ‘Tudor’-design dolls’ house sold for £1,000 at Special Auction Services; a Regency dolls’ house, c1820, that sold for £12,500 at C&T Auctioneer­s in June 2017.
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