Only a handful of dolls’ houses have survived from the 18th century and Nostell’s is the only one you can see in the original family home it was designed for. Arguably the most detailed and authentic of its kind, the dolls’ house at Nostell is a true masterpiece of craftsmanship and a window into a past world.

From Saturday 7 March, you’ll find the dolls’ house showcased in a new permanent exhibition space as you enter the mansion on the ground floor. Beautifully lit with state-of-the-art showcase lighting in a bespoke glass case, you can see every tiny detail, from the liveried footman and the miniature glass mouse to the hallmarked silver tea set.

In the 18th century, dolls’ houses weren’t toys for children. Known as ‘baby houses’, they were used by aristocratic women in their teen and adult years, to learn how to run a country house, practice social etiquette and express their creativity.

From rehearsing how to take tea and manage servants to choosing clothes and curtains in the latest fashions, dolls’ houses were miniature worlds in which 18th century life was played out.

Nostell’s dolls’ house was created in the 1730s by Susannah Henshaw, the wife of Rowland Winn, whilst they were building the full-scale mansion that visitors enjoy today.

From the overall design to the tiny family crest on the Drawing Room fireplace, you can see there are many similarities to the life-sized house, suggesting that the dolls’ house reflects how Susannah hoped her new home would be furnished and run.

Sadly, she died at the age of 32 from a complication of childbirth, and didn’t live to see the full-scale mansion completed. We can see that later additions were made to the tiny treasure house, most probably by Susannah’s daughter-in-law, Sabine D’Hervart, who put her own stamp on this family heirloom.

As well as providing an educational tool for women, dolls’ houses like the one at Nostell were also symbols of wealth and status.

Although Susannah, and later Sabine, would have had an active role in designing and creating the contents, they’d have also employed specialist carvers, silversmiths, upholsterers and painters to craft such detailed tiny objects, which would have been very expensive.

Just as the Winns filled their big house with treasures to impress their guests, no expense was spared in producing a highly crafted dolls’ house.

From doors with working locks, handles and hinges, to a hallmarked silver dinner set and tiny dolls’ dresses with three layers of petticoats, the extraordinary detail of Nostell’s dolls’ house sets it apart from the rest.

At nearly 300 years old, Nostell’s dolls’ house is a remarkable survival, with investigations by National Trust advisers confirming that almost all the interior decoration is original.

However, it’s been subject to all the agents of deterioration that affect a real-sized house, which have taken their toll. For example, light exposure has faded textiles and darkened wooden surfaces and varnished finishes, over-zealous cleaning has removed decorative finishes and some of the furniture has warped due to adverse changes in relative humidity.

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