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Dolls’ house of Petronella Oortman

Photograph of a large dolls house with an open front revealing the highly decorated interior

Dolls’ house of Petronella Oortman by Anonymous, Public Domain

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Intro

Museum's Description

Teacher notes
- Have you ever seen a dolls' house this realistic? All the contents have been carefully designed to be exactly the right size for the house and are made out of the same materials their normal sized versions would be. The original dolls are sadly missing.
  
  Things to think about...
  - Who do you think would have owned a dolls' house like this?
  - Do you think it would have been played with?
  - Can we use this dolls' house to figure out things about the culture and time it came from?
- The students can compare this dolls' house to a model home made in the 1940s which, like this one, is full of details that can reveal a lot about the contemporary culture.
- This dolls’ house is exceptionally realistic. All the contents have been made of authentic materials, and the proportions are exactly correct. The fine cabinet, of tortoiseshell decorated with pewter inlays, was made by a cabinetmaker from France, who worked in Amsterdam for several years. Petronella Oortman was married to the Amsterdam merchant Johannes Brandt.