c. 1670 – 1690
207 x 189 x 79 cm
gift 1866
inv. no. 5000

This doll house contains 1,600 miniature objects from the life of its commissioner Petronella de la Court (1625-1707). The doll house consists of 11 fully furnished rooms, and is inhabited by 28 dolls, all dressed in the latest fashion. Adorning its walls are real miniature paintings by 17th-century masters such as Willem van Mieris and Gerard de Lairesse. Naturally, it would not be complete without a lying-in room and a garden. In the 17th and early 18th century, doll houses were not made for children, but rather as miniature art collections for ladies in the highest social circles. The idea was to provide an exact reflection of reality on a miniature scale, which also contained an exhortation to run an `exemplary' household.