Reborn Dolls
Reborn Dolls
With their exquisite craftsmanship and intense hyper realism, it is no wonder that Reborn Dolls have gained popularity in the past decade or so. Reborn Dolls are interesting art pieces created from vinyl dolls that have been modified in a process called “reborning”.
Reborn Dolls and their reborning process usually starts with a plain, pre-existing vinyl doll. These dolls are usually manufactured by popular companies that already have a wide range of dolls and parts available for artists.
For example, the popular Reborn Doll Berenguer kits are Reborn Dolls that have been modified from Berenguer Babies. The Berenguer Babies are a popular doll line from JC Toys, and have been around for almost 50 years. JC Toys' dolls are already quite realistic in shape and form, but reborning takes the dolls to whole new levels of realism.
Reborners employ a complex series of painstaking techniques that include disassembly, stripping, painting, remoulding, heating, and microrooting. Several details and imperfections such as mottled skin allow reborners to transform the original doll into something that resembles a true, living baby. In fact, the outcome is so realistic that it sometimes triggers a dip into the uncanny valley for a number of people. They often find the dolls to be unsettling or just plain creepy because of their extreme semblance to human infants.
Popularity of Reborn Dolls However, with the recent insurgence of the hyper realism movement in modern art, Reborn Dolls have grown quite popular and the demand for these lifelike toys have increased since the early 2000s. Online communities, organizations, and conventions have cropped up to bring Reborn Doll artists and enthusiasts together, and there are now several sites selling ready-made dolls as well as custom designs and reborning kits. In fact, several artists have gained quite a name for themselves because of their superior craftsmanship and detailing. For example, Reborn Doll Elly Knoops from the Netherlands makes top quality soft vinyl dolls that have been sculpted to perfection. As one of the earliest reborners from the 1990s, Elly Knoops' works are highly coveted by collectors. Reborn Doll Adrie Stoete on the other hand, creates a wide variety of different dolls including infants, toddlers, and even fairies. As for serious collectors who are looking for an interesting addition to their doll collections, unique baby chimpanzee Reborn Dolls are available from Reborn Doll Denise Pratt.
Owning Reborn Dolls Reborn Dolls are quite expensive because of the level of detailing and the amount of time that goes into their creation. Each doll is hand crafted and lovingly sculpted by their artists, and searching through a Reborn Dolls shop is akin to visiting a nursery or an adoption centre. However, despite their high price tag, there are quite number of doll collectors who focus on obtaining these exquisite and realistic dolls. There are also a number of other people who use the dolls to illicit an emotional response in the owner. Some people have “adopted” Reborn Dolls to ease their anxiety over miscarriage or separation from their child. Reborn Dolls are weighted to simulate the weight of living infants, and many of them need to have their head supported as though carrying a real child. Since they are such delicate pieces of art, utmost care and vigilance is needed to keep the dolls in top condition. Purchasing and owning Reborn Dolls is quite a feat, but is worth every penny.