Dutch dolls’ houses from the turn of the 17th and 18th century : collectors’ cabinets and documents of everyday life

The aim of a given article is to present a phenomenon of Dutch doll’s houses from the turn of the 17th and 18th century, commissioned by wealthy women of the regent and merchant classes (namely the ones that used to belong to Petronella Oortman, Petronella de la Court, Petronella Dunois, and Sara Rothé). The author analyses their origin, history, function, construction and furnishing, placing them in the context of the Dutch cult of domesticity at that time. These dolls’ houses were not meant for children but served as costly art cabinets for grown-up married women who played an active role in their design, and, hence, may be treated as crucial female ego documents. Although dolls’ houses in many cases present only a vision of the past interiors and their realism cannot be always taken for granted, they give an important insight into the everyday life and customs of the wealthy social classes of the Dutch Republic.