Ca. 100-200 AD. Roman Period. An articulated doll made of dark bone. The doll is formed of seven separate parts, allowing movement, and they would have been connected by something like cord which has degraded over the centuries. There are two arms, two legs, two feet, and a nude torso with breasts and a youthful hair, topped with a short hairstyle. The doll depicts a young female, and nearly all these dolls portrayed aristocratic women. This would have been owned by the daughter of wealthy parents. Dolls in the Roman Empire mirrored the beauty expectations put upon girls and they were often shown nude with accentuated genitalia and the fashionable hairstyle of the time. Their moveable parts allowed young girls to play with them in a variety of configurations. As well as being used for play, these dolls may have been intended to help young girls contemplate their lives as adult women, and practice dressing themselves by adorning the doll. Size: L:Set of 7: 13 - 48mm / W:6 - 15mm ; 20g. From a London private family collection; formerly acquired on the UK art market in the 1960s - 1970s; thence by descent.