Barbie Dressed as La Virgen de la Caridad del Cobre: Museum Object and Cultural History

The object in the museum catalogue

This Barbie doll is costumed and accessorized as a representation of The Virgin of Caridad del Cobre, Patron Saint of Cuba. The doll wears the ornate blue and gold robe characteristic of the Virgin in other depictions in religious cards, carvings, and statues. The figure has a crown and is holding a baby (Barbie's brother doll), representing the image of Jesus, and an orb and a crucifix. The doll is mounted on a plaster base. Below the doll is a paper boat on painted cloth to represent the sea, with three doll figures on the boat that represent the fishermen lost at sea that the Virgin saves. Three angels are suspended above the boat. Mixed materials including glass, fabric, plastic, gold braid, plaster, paper, paint, and synthetic jewels. Made by Armando Pérez, a man of Cuban descent, living in Hatillo, Puerto Rico, at the time he sold this doll to the Smithsonian.

Materials, dates and provenance

• Date made: ca 1996 - 1997
• manufacturer: Mattel, Inc.
• maker: Perez, Armando
• Object Name: doll
• Physical Description: plastic (overall material)
• Physical Description: plaster (overall material)
• Physical Description: paper (overall material)
• Physical Description: paint (overall material)
• Physical Description: glass (overall material)
• Measurements: overall: 100 cm x 47.5 cm x 24 cm; 39 3/8 in x 18 11/16 in x 9 7/16 in
• Place Made: Puerto Rico: Hatillo, Hatillo
• Subject: Saints
• Subject: Catholic Church
• Subject: Toys
• ID Number: 1997.0178.01
• accession number: 1997.0178
• catalog number: 1997.0178.01
• Data Source: National Museum of American History

Sources and reuse

Catalogue descriptions and facts adapted from National Museum of American History through the Smithsonian's official Open Access dataset. This record explicitly marks its metadata CC0 1.0; formatting and selection have been changed.