Vintage Chinese Qing Dynasty Traditional Dress Manchu Princess Empress Seated Doll 12 inches Tall

This is a lovely new, with original plastic cover, vintage Chinese doll dressed in a black satin brocade Cheongsam Kimono seated on a barrel.  The doll is in wonderful vintage condition with no fading of her silk costume or damage to the doll.  She measures 12+ inches tall from the top of her Manchu Headdress to the bottom of the black lacquered base she is mounted on.  The large headdress is styled from the Qing Dynasty circa the 19th century and would have been worn by an important Manchu woman or member of the Royal Family.  The Manchu people originally came from a part of North-East China called Manchuria, but they have since migrated throughout China and settled across the Asian continent.  The Qing Dynasty ruled during the period 1644 - 1912. 

Under the influence of the Han women, Manchu women came to wear flat buns.  The bun became higher and higher towards the end of the dynasty until it was incorporated into the Manchu's traditional headdress in the form of an "archway", usually decorated with a few flowers into it, and called "Flag Head" or was also known as the "Tin Child".  Like a fan, they were made of satin, brocade, and yarn material, very beautiful and unique, they were often decorated with big flowers of vivid color and/or tassels.  The Cheongsam is the typical clothing of Manchu woman and is typically a straight "A" line garment, Cheongsams of this period featured wide sleeves similar to this doll's garment.