A selection of dolls a collection donated to Centro León in 2001 by Rosa Amelia Tavares de Cabral, is complemented by pieces lent by Julia Amelia Cabral de Thomen and other private collectors.

The presence of dolls dates to the prehistoric era. It is not possible to determine the exact origin of dolls, but it is placed within the Egyptian civilization. Dolls have existed in every culture, a stick with leaves could become a doll. Many times dolls served a ritualistic purpose: for example, in the Precolumbian world, the dead were buried with dolls, and in the Roman empire they represented ancestors. However, dolls, as we conceive them today, appeared towards the XVII and XVIII centuries, and their history is documented since the later.

In the XVIII century the French created the fashion doll, also called poupeé doll. These models with a very defined female silhouette, with hips and a bustline, were manufactured in order to sample garments designed in Parisian couture houses windows. These more fashionable dolls represented and maiden. Their appearance caused such an effect on society that large scale production began in order to sell them for little girls. A specialized magazine also came to life (Journal de poupeé), where girls learned both how to dress and how to design clothes for their dolls.

in the XIX century dolls truly expanded, and industrial-scale production began. They were made as an unarticulated single piece although sometimes they were made with just the head and body as a single piece. The main hubs for production were France and Germany, countries that competed in the toy market just like they did in politics, war and economy.

By the XX century dolls entered the US market, especially in Hollywood. One of the first hits in this market was the Shirley Temple doll, that represented the beloved child of the film industry. Later on, doll models popped up just as fast as movie stars did. Many years passed before the marker turned towards dolls like the Barbie.