cage dolls en

Small to medium-sized figures comprising a carved or molded bust or half-figure, set upon a cage, which may resemble a cage crinoline or may be of simpler design. The cage is usually made of wood or metal. The figures are designed to wear clothing, with long skirts covering the cage. Many cage dolls are religious statues, representing the Virgin Mary, angels, or saints, including but not limited to such figures in the Hispanic tradition of "santos." Another use of cage dolls was as "fashion dolls," to display dresses in miniature in order to allow the customer to choose a fashion. For porcelain or wooden objects representing a figure, often female, from the waist up, intended to be sewn or attached to a base or lower body but not to a cage, use "half dolls."