9 1/2″ Cloth Woman from the Azores. The doll was offered for sell by Kimport Dolls in the 1940’s. The Azores are one of two autonomous regions of Portugal, composed of nine volcanic islands in the North Atlantic Ocean about 850 miles West of Continental Portugal.
In “Folk Costumes of the World”, the authors tell us the skirts of the women of Portugal tend to be very full and are usually topped off with scarves which are draped loosely over the head with a black felt hat to hold it in place. “The hat is sometimes replaced by a pad, known as a mother-in-law.” Foot wear is traditonally a pair of backless mules.
I purchased the doll in 2009 from a seller in Suffern, New York.
