7 1/2″ Plastic Couple in the National Costume of Panama. I found a description of this type of costumes in R. Turner Wilcox’s “Folk and Festival Costume of the World”. He provided the following information:
” The pollera, the national femine costume of Panama which is based upon the colonial dress of Spanish ladies, has waist-deep, flaring capelike collar. Of soft white voile, it is embroidered in deep color such as red or black. A worsted rosette matches the ribbon sash of dark green. Hand-embroidery, a dozen yards on the finish blouse and skirt. The coiffure is a quivering, sparkling arrangement of flowers, butterflies and pearls on tiny springs.”
“The masculine Panamanian costume consists of a white linen fringed smock and short breeches in red, blue, and yellow. This city man wears leather sandals. His hat is the true “panama hat” which is braided and not woven. Braided of palm fibers into a white and black strip, it is sewn and shaped on a wooden block. The fine, smooth, hand-woven “panama” of split and bleached palm-like fibers which grow in Ecuador and Colombia comes from those countries but, having been sold in Panama for more than a century, is called a “panama”. In terms of both time and money, it is a much costlier headpiece.”
I received the dolls as a gift from Elisa de Guerra in 1973. She purchased the dolls while on a trip home to Panama the same year.
7 1/2″ Plastic Couple in the National Costume of Panama. I found a description of this type of costumes in R. Turner Wilcox’s “Folk and Festival Costume of the World”. He provided the following information: