A 17th century Mouse.

The mice carry on their little lives under the roots of my Medlar Tree and I occasionally help them out with this or that!

I went to a wonderful fair on Saturday in Thame, a sweet little market town in close by Oxfordshire. It's a dollshouse and miniature fair and so perfect for looking at ( and buying ) little trimmings, tiny lace, beautiful silk 4mm ribbon and teeny weeny pearls, to name a few.
Here too, you can find the finest materials, silks and cottons which drape so beautifully, for doll making.
Or mouse making.

I came home with lots of lace, miniature ric-rac, beautiful fine hand dyed silk ribbon and some lovely stripey red and white silk material.

I knew immediately what I would do with this.

Meet Columbina, a character from the 17th century Commedia dell'arte which is one of my favourite types of entertainment. In fact I'm very fond of the 17th century in general. So Columbina is all for me. She isn't for sale. She took me five hours to make from scratch, so I doubt she will be one of the figures I'll make regularly. :)

I will make her an Arlecchino soon, so she won't be lonely.

Columbina, the character in the Commedia, is a complete coquette and so has all the Medlar male mice fawning over her. She is cheeky, fearless, often a bit sharp with a malicious wit and is full of gaiety and charm.

A perfect character for a quick little mouse, Columbina is nimble and fast in her actions, running hither and thither, butting in on the conversations of her betters and being flirtatious.

Her costume is the epitome of fashion, at a time when it was sometimes impossible to tell the servants from their mistresses. She wears a fashionable wide skirt with a basque, a deep décolletage edged with fine lace, pearls at her throat and she holds the obligatory rose in her hand. All women, regardless of their class, at this time ( about 1630 ) wore aprons and so Columbina mouse wears a thin pinny of fine antique tambour lace.

The real difference here between all the other mice of Medlar House is that Columbina wears pointy little pink shoes finished with hand dyed real silk bows.

Phew...I won't be making another of these in a hurry!
Besides...one little characterful mouse like this is quite a handful!
Imagine several.