The Travels of Marco Polo; Collecting Middle Ages Style

As I languish in isolation from a modern plague, I couldn't help but compare this time to the ancient and medieval plagues that stalked the world.  They didn't stop Marco Polo and his family from their 26 year adventure to the east and the court of Kublai Khan.

In  reading The Travels of Marco Polo, I realized that they were inherently collectors, first.  the descriptions of gems and jewels, silks, brocades and other treasures are meant to inspire wonder, but are also carefully catalogued.

I'm reading the 1934 Heritage Press edition, edited by Komroff and Fyodorovitch Lapshin.  It is a gorgeous book in itself.

Public Domain, Marco Polo

American Doll and Toy Museum: What's the Buzz? Beekeeping and Dolls!

American Doll and Toy Museum: What's the Buzz? Beekeeping and Dolls!: In his classic Dolls and Puppets , Max von Boehn includes human shaped bee hives that are life-sized among this explorations of the word &qu...

American Doll and Toy Museum: FREE Virtual Doll Convention is Happening NEXT WEE...

American Doll and Toy Museum: FREE Virtual Doll Convention is Happening NEXT WEE...

American Doll and Toy Museum: Madame Alexander Vintage Ladies of Fashion Doll Sh...

American Doll and Toy Museum: Madame Alexander Vintage Ladies of Fashion Doll Sh...

Corona Virus' Effect on the Toy Industry

Follow this link to The Wall Street Journal for more: https://www.wsj.com/articles/coronavirus-upends-global-toy-industry-11582809430.

I'm not surprised; according to the article, 85% of the world's toys are now made in China.  Where once Germany dominated the toy industry, China has taken over.  Millions more things besides toys are made there.  The WSJ feared markets would be choked as favorite and popular toys can't be exported, or even made, because of factory closures in China.

Well, here's a chance for The American Toy Industry to rejuvenate itself.

If we cant buy toilet paper, or alcohol, or hand sanitizer any more, it figures we can't buy toys. Or, soon, anything else.  The ensuing panic is our biggest enemy. 

I've felt as though I live in a war zone.   Tomorrow, our bars and restaurants close for two weeks.  I'm worried other small businesses, like our museum, will be next.  yet, when I see side by side stats in our local paper, the Quad city Times, comparing Covid 10 to the Flu, the flu wins.  This panic and paranoia, and mass hoarding, is just ridiculous.

It's going to be a grim St. Pat's here.  Our churches are closed, and I'm cancelling Drs appoitnments because I just don't feel safe visiting any of the hospitals.  There are four suspected cases, and one confirmed in our area, all people who have travelled out of the country, but still.

My husband laughs at me, because I did stock our fridge, and pantry, as much as I could, but I didn't buy cases or huge amounts of anything.  I just tried to prepare, and hope for the best.  We've had terrible flu epidemics where I live, and H1N1 and even West Nile Virus surfaced here and there over the past years, but no none every panicked like this.

Be safe. keep collecting, be prudent.  Really folks, we've had more problems over the years at my former school because people just didn't wash their hands.  We had our share of Mumps, Whooping Cough, Scabies, Mirza, [sp?]and more.    Wash your hands, everyone, it goes a long way to helping everything. 

Thoughts on the Japanese Doll Festival March 3, 2020-our Display Dedicated to Yoko Ono

Today is the day of the Hina Matsuri or Japanese Doll Festival. For great histories of this wonderful holiday, read Miss Happiness and Miss Flower by Rumer Godden, friend of Tasha Tudor, who was so kind to me when I wrote my dissertation. Also, try Judy Shoaf's A Page for Japanese Dolls online, and Laura B. Starr's, The Doll Book, 1908, available on Kindle. My friend Mary Hillier has excellent information in her Dolls and Doll Makers, and Alan Pate and Lea Baten are also excellent sources and noted authors on Japanese dolls of all types. I have a foldout Hina set that dates to the Korean War, and other Korean and Japanese dolls my Uncle Tom, an artist, brought from Korea. Yesterday was the anniversary of his death, and I feel the need to honor him. He was a big contributor to my doll collection, and taught me to paint in oils. He repaired all sorts of dolls, and brought me one every weekend. He was a graduate of the School of the Art Institute, and very talented.

As I was pondering the state of my dolls, sort of like The State of the Union, when it occurred to me, I really have three collections: the standard "correct" collection of typically desirable dolls from all epochs that appear in books, all in good or mint shape with boxes, my core collection from childhood, many in mint or excellent shape, others well-loved, who were my companions, and my artist/restored wonders. These last may be my favorites, and include my early and sad attempts at doll making, fabulous fragments of antique dolls, yard sale dolls, the bits and pieces that become art dolls, homemade paper dolls and doll houses, furniture, and clothes. I've learned from all three segments of the collection, and I don't think I could have specialized in the way some collectors do, but then, to each her own!

Japanese Dolls Display at American Doll & Toy Museum

Traditional Hina dolls, American Doll & Toy Museum

More of our Display

Dedicated to Yoko Ono