Bahia Brazil Dolls, Reference Gallery

This reference gallery focuses on Bahia, Brazilian Dolls with porcupine quill fingernails.

Bahia dolls were made in Bahia, Brazil., dating back to the early 1900s. They were produced in various skin tones but are best known for the rich black color of their darkest dolls. They were made of cotton muslin, which, over time, can look like linen.

How Bahia dolls were made:
They were made of cotton fabric, stuffed firmly, and hand-stitched. They were assembled in three parts: head with neck, torso with legs, and arms sewn to shoulders. Their faces were embroidered with cotton floss.

Lady and men dolls were made in sizes 11" to 20" tall. They have embroidered faces, some having teeth. Bahia dolls were anatomically correct and had embroidered genitalia. They wore cotton or linen full-length skirts with lace trims and linen slips. Some dolls have sashes made of lace, satin, silk-like material, and cotton plaid. Bahia dolls had cloth slipper-type shoes sewn directly to their feet.

Depicting ladies of style and stature, they were adorned with earrings, necklaces, bracelets, and rings. Their jewelry was made of glass beads, metal beads, shells, chain necklaces, and artfully rolled-up metallic foil. Some necklaces feature ivory-colored pendants made in the shape of a got-your-nose fist, called a "Brazilian Figa," which is a good luck charm. Bahia dolls were famous for being dolls with fingernails, but sadly, with age, only a few have all their fingernails intact. Fingernails were cleverly made of porcupine quills, celluloid, or, in some cases, it is said, natural human nails.

Many of these lady dolls made it to the USA in the luggage of service members who bought them as gifts for their wives and daughters back home, but probably more often, they were snatched up by tourists as marvelous souvenir travel dolls to commemorate a special trip to Brazil.

Similar-looking dolls were made in Haiti, linked below.

BAIANAS - the regional ladies the dolls were designed after. Bahia is a state in Brazil, and Salvador is its capital. The Baianas, in their jewels, hoop skirts, heavily decorated shirts, and head scarves, represented the traditional clothing of the era in Bahia.

Tags found on Bahia, Brazil dolls include:

• A doll-shaped tag that says "Bahia"
• BAHIA DOLL - HAND MADE IN SALVADOR BAHIA- BRAZIL - Printed on a generic paper tag
• CASA LEMBRANCAS - BAHIA RUA DOROSARIO 1S SALVADORE
• Industria Brasiietra, Evangelina Leite, R. Cosmde de Faria, 97, Salvador - Bahia - affixed to lower back
• Lembranca da Bahia Nascimento & Cia. - affixed to the shoulder

Labels sewn onto doll:

• INDUSTRIA BRASILLIA - EVANGELINA LEITE - R. Cosmde de Faria, 97 SALVADORE - BAHIA

Types of Bahia dolls include:

• Lady dolls
• A doll with a face and front body, but when turned around horizontally, has another front in a different skin tone and dress style. It's a doll with no back but two fronts. It was not a vertically flipping Topsy-turvy style doll.
• Male dolls

Haitian Bahia Gallery:

• https://www.gaylewraydolls.com/store/pc/-Bahia-type-2-quot-Haitian-quot-Dolls-Reference-Gallery-32p252.htm

Photos courtesy of, Tanya MonTQ, and Gayle Wray.

Disclaimer: This page is a general guide only and should not be used as a definitive reference to the origin of untagged dolls, as dolls without identifying marks can result in misidentification. Please keep the original tags intact and displayed, or reattach them securely under the dress to preserve the heritage of these fantastic ladies for future generations.