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

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

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

A closer view of upper portion