A Brief History
By Jill Lynne Ness

Unknown to much of the world, a whole little world has been flourishing in the collectibles realm for centuries: the field of dollhouses and dollhouse miniatures. The fascination with tiny things isn't just child's play either; many adults who played with a dollhouse when they were young are delighted to find that the area of dollhouses and dollhouse miniatures has evolved into a distinguished collectible field. There are professional magazines, books, events, and shows featuring the "mini habit;" professional organizations include the CIMTA (Cottage Industry Miniaturists Trade Association, Inc.), IGMA (International Guild of Miniature Artisans) and NAME (National Association of Miniature Enthusiasts). Participants in this hobby are from all ages and walks of life. Their involvement ranges from collectors to artisans in the field.

The word "miniature" comes from the Iberian "minimum," which refers to the cinnabar Romans imported from Spain and used to write decorative capital letters, headings and small paintings on their manuscripts. This art of manuscript decoration was brought from the east by Greek artists who had visited Persia and other centers of ancient learning. Thus, the term "miniatures" originally referred to this miniature painting.

The invention of the printing process became threatening to the early miniaturists, calligraphers and manuscript illuminators, even though some printers agreed to reserve corners on printed pages for this kind of artwork. Many people believe that the diminished need for the work of these artists lead them from manuscript painting to painting on ivory, enamel, or other mediums, though other opinions disagree.

The term "miniatures" evolved to refer to all small objects, not just to paintings. The Egyptians used small-scale objects in a variety of religious customs, particularly in preparation for the afterlife. Miniature representations of butchers, cooks, bakers, granary attendants and similar figures appeared as ushebtis (servants of the dead). These figures supposedly possessed oral power, and upon the recitation of the correct incantation, the ushebtis became life-sized and set upon whatever work was needed of the deceased in the afterworld. In addition to the Egyptians, similar burial rites have been found in Chinese civilizations.

Small objects weren't merely meant to accompany the dead to the afterworld. Along with the objects meant for burial rites, archaeologists have uncovered small objects thought to be toys for children of the ancients. Though not many survive today, they are frequently shown in medieval paintings.

Toymaking as a profession appears to have begun in fifteenth century Germany. Craftsmen turned toymakers were known as "dockenmachers" ("docke" is German for "doll"). These craftsmen pioneered the great Nuremberg toy industry that developed later. Many of these toymakers and craftsmen made objects in adult-size as well as in miniature. In 1689 Christoph Weigel was quoted as saying, "...Yes, there is scarcely a craft which is ordinarily made in life size which is not reproduced in miniature."

The "docken-houser," or dolls' house, appeared in about 1765 as a toy for girls to play with until they were brides. Dollhouses differ from playhouses in that dollhouses are meant for dolls, while playhouses are roomy enough to house dolls as well as the children to which they belong . For many centuries, dollhouses were believed to teach girls the proper means of running a household-everything involved with the household was reproduced in miniature, sometimes to extravagant lengths. While no longer deemed a toy just for girls, or even children, realism is very much a desired standard for today's dollhouses and miniatures as it was in the past.