Dolls and teddy bears have a universal attraction to young and old throughout history continuing into current era. This display, which runs from 17 December 2021 to 19 February 2022, combines both and is a joint effort by Judith Le Fleming and Muriel Hancock.
The porcelain dolls are made and dressed by Judith with a vast range of styles and personalities on display. Judith has also set up her collection of Steiff bears bought at the Steiff factory in Germany displayed alongside a number of panda bears.
Muriel has contributed about 30 Robin Rive collector teddy bears. Each bear is named and is limited edition. Some are named after well know identities such as Peter Blake, Estee Lauder and The Queen Mother. All these bears are handmade in Auckland and have been produced for about 40 years. Muriel started her collection about 30 years ago.