Petronella Oortman’s dollhouse, The Rijksmuseum

Last year we visited the Rjksmuseum in Amsterdam for the first time, it was amazingly busy, despite having to pay quite a lot to get in when such places are free in the UK.

The photos below are of a dollhouse which was never meant to be a toy. It was owned by a woman, Petronella Oortman.  She was a wealthy woman and she spent a large amount of money on her miniature house, which is actually quite large. It’s fitted out beautifully. Having a house like this was the equivalent of a man having a cabinet of curiosities.

The doll’s house is huge. I couldn’t fit it all in one picture so the one below is a stitch of two

Petronella Oortman's Doll's House  (stitch)

Such was the Doll’s House’s fame that someone painted it. The painting hangs on a wall nearby

Painting of Petronella Oortman's Doll's House

It’s a very popular exhibit so I wasn’t able to spend as much time looking at its nine rooms as I would have liked, mind you I could have looked at it all day.

Another fairly large doll’s house belonged to another Petronella! Petronella Dunois

Petronella Dunois's Doll's House 2

A closer view of upper portion

Upper Part, Petronella Dunois's Doll's House

 

Merry Christmas!

Merry Christmas to you from me and my Merrythought Lads! It’s not going to be the Christmas that any of us were expecting or planning for, but there’s no doubt that keeping everything quiet and socially distanced this year is the sensible way to go. Then with any luck we can look forward to a more normal celebration next year.

Merrythought Bears

Geoff Farley on the left was named Farley by his original owner. I wonder if he was called after Farley’s Rusks. When I acquired him I added Geoff in memory of a great gardener – Geoff Hamilton. There’s no doubt that he is stricken in years, as many of us feel after such a rough year of bad news in the UK with Brexit and Covid to contend with.

Armstrong McGregor on the right is dapper and young in comparison to his companion, but not very young, and he’s been named after two great-grandfathers. Jack had one whose first name was Armstrong, and I had one whose surname was McGregor. I like the combination.

Fingers crossed that we all feel a bit more like Armstrong McGregor looks this time next year! Come on, own up – does your home shelter a teddy bear or two?