Serbian dolls

This is a couple wearing a folk costume from the Sumadija region of Serbia and they stand at around 12 inches with the male a little taller. As the dolls are handmade there is some variation in size and the large Narodna Radinost dolls can be anywhere from 11 to almost 14 inches tall. 

The larger dolls do not feature in the doll catalogs of Kimport or the Mark Farmer doll company. I suspect, although I have no visual proof, that they may have been sold at the various World's Fairs that Yugoslavia exhibited at during the 1960's in the USA. They also made their way out of Yugoslavia as gifts. The female doll below was given as a gift to a Californian woman by a visitor from Yugoslavia in the 1960s. Their size tends to make them a handsome gift I suppose.  

The detail on the aprons worn by the large Serbian female dolls is always really pretty. Here she wears a red velvet apron beautifully worked in a floral design. The green colour of her pleated skirt, worn tucked up at the sides, is unusual as most are blue or red. The gold braid on her red vest is also great quality and the maker has  added some gold stars for extra impact.

The male doll has some lovely floral detail on his socks and you can just catch a glimpse of the red lining in his thick blue woolen waistcoat. His shirt has discoloured and the embroidery detail on his shirt is perhaps a little basic.

Vintage large Serbian dolls in good condition are not easy to find and I only have 3 Serbian females and 2 Serbian males in my collection. I do actually prefer the 8 inch dolls in the range. Sometimes the proportions of the larger dolls are not quite right and so long arms, thin torsos, small heads and over ample cleavage can result!