Handmade Ink and Watercolor French Courtiers and Flower Sellers Paper Dolls taxco silver overlay bottle the fabric of her body

the fabric of her body is in good shape with seams all holding tight

stapled along seams on the sides and top

I love the long handle of this old wooden spoon or ladle

with some foxing to the upper right corner especially

Handmade Ink and Watercolor French Courtiers and Flower Sellers Paper Dolls taxco silver overlay bottle the fabric of her bodyI take these hand drawn and watercolored paper dolls as representing French courtiers and flower sellers from the era of Louis XIV or so, though I am not entirely sure when they were made and whether a specific purpose; the level of execution is rather above and beyond that of paper dolls made by or for a child to play with! Perhaps they were background characters in an elaborate puppet show? Or made as part of a maquette for an opera set design? In