The Doll’s Casket

This “casket”—an old-fashioned word for a chest or box—is a rare treasure containing, among other items, 12 tiny picture books with hand-colored illustrations; two battledores, or small paddles; a bag of letters to make words with; and a pincushion with six black and six white pins. An accompanying sheet addressed to the “Doll’s Mamma” describes a game: if the doll behaves badly, the owner should stick it with a black pin; if well, with a white. Achieving all white pins earns the doll a reward from her casket, and “Thus in time clearly … she will become a good doll.” While common during the 18th and 19th centuries, most miniature chests like this have not survived, with their many pieces long ago mislaid or destroyed.