Maria Vasquez Boyd’s Mexican doll collection on display at the National Museum of Toys and Miniatures (photo by Jim Barcus)
The Kansas City artist shares her enthusiasm for what T/m curator Madeline Rislow calls ‘important visual documents of Mexican history and culture’
Even if you think you’ve outgrown dolls, the 40 Mexican folk figurines on display at the National Museum of Toys and Miniatures will make you want to own one all over again. Sold to tourists in the 1940s and 50s, these dolls, drawn from the collection of Kansas City artist and poet Maria Vasquez Boyd, are not caricatures. Each one is unique, expertly constructed from different stuffings and oilskin, and representative of different regions and specific occupations native to Mexico. Their beautiful, handmade accoutrements include musical instruments such as a harp, drum and cello, woven serapes and sombreros, ceramic pots, painted plates and leather sandals with straw straps.
Recently I sat down with Boyd to learn more about the dolls and what inspired her to collect them.
Elisabeth Kirsch: When did you first become aware of these dolls from Mexico?
Maria Vasquez Boyd: Growing up in south Kansas City we had several wares brought back from Mexico: jars, chairs, and wall plaques. We also had a doll from Mexico with a sombrero and soft furry hair dressed in muslin with a paliacate (bandana) around his neck. This was placed on the topmost shelf of our bookcase, meaning this is not to be played with.
Ten years ago, at a thrift store, I found a similar doll minus the sombrero. My response to this little guy was sentimental and loving. From then on, I began researching and collecting these multifaceted dolls, going on the internet and looking for them at garage sales and thrift stores.
EK: What did you find out about their origins?
MVB: What I’ve learned is that there’s very little to no academic or sourced information that exists. I’ve talked with several curators from folk museums, doll museums and an anthropologist who lives in Mexico. What I do know is they were made for the tourist industry, but that raised many more questions: who were the makers, where were they sold, when were they made?
The dolls are detailed and beautifully crafted. Men’s hair is soft rabbit fur and women wear braids of doll hair with ribbons and hats. The women are often dressed in floral skirts, sombreros, earrings and some may have a tiny bebe (baby) strapped to their back by rebozos (long scarves or shawls). Both genders wear huaraches that are well made of leather like the ones people wear today.
EK: Do the dolls represent specific types of individuals in Mexican culture?
MVB: I believe the dolls represent the resourcefulness of a culture that appeals beyond the tourist industry. They represent everyday people who perform the daily functions of life in Mexico. Here you have brides and grooms, Abuelitos (grandmothers) with their white hair, musicians ready to play you a song, bebes asleep, and vendors with the most fragrant flowers.
One of my favorite dolls includes an Adelita, a woman warrior in Mexico during the Mexican revolution. She is a symbol of strength and resistance for all women. The doll carries a rifle and wears an ammunition belt. Historically, she would care for the wounded, cooked, and fought alongside men in battle.
There is one whole shelf of musicians. They are not Mariachis, as they would have had very specific clothing. They are probably street musicians found throughout Mexico.
There is also a Padre (priest or other Christian clergyman), the only one I’ve ever found!
EK: What do you plan to do with your collection in the future?
MVB: I love all the dolls in my collection, or as I call them, “mi gente” (my people). Today I have around 200, and I continue to buy them. They come in different sizes; I prefer the 9- to 12-inch dolls who are finely crafted in proportion. My goal is to save as many as I can from being thrown out or severely damaged. With that, I plan to photograph my collection and compile those into a catalogue or book. Since no information exists that I’m aware of, this may be challenging. I want to preserve the craftsmanship, heritage, and culture of these dolls that demonstrate the resilience, pride and history of mi gente.
Dr. Madeline Rislow, curator of the Museum of Toys and Miniatures, said in a recent interview that one reason she wanted to exhibit these folk toys at the museum is “because we have nothing like them in our collection… and while we may know little about their origins, the dolls are important visual documents of Mexican history and culture.
We’re fortunate that Vasquez Boyd is collecting and preserving these objects and is so excited to share them with others. I often find visitors of all ages standing in front of her collection, closely looking at the dolls’ distinctive elements. I think the dolls encourage each of us to explore our own stories and consider ways that even the smallest visual details convey meaning.”
Mexican dolls from the collection of Maria Vazquez Boyd continue on view at The National Museum of Toys and Miniatures, 5235 Oak St., through April 28, 2025. Hours are 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Wednesday-Sunday. For more information, 816.235.8000 or toyandminiaturemuseum.org.
