Tiaras, Fillets and Diadems

A Tiara is a type of crown, most easily represented as a form of jewelled headband or half crown.   A tiara never encircles the head - (if it does, it's a crown!).  

Nowadays, tiaras are still regularly worn by Royal and noble ladies, but as they no longer indicate the wearer's rank, they have become pieces of jewellery that can be worn by anyone for that special occasion - and often are!

The Diadem was also originally a type of crown, specifically an ornamental headband, fillet, or circlet.   Diadems were usually simple in design, and the simplest of all were embroidered ribbons.   

Both Tiaras and Fillets can be found on Nisbet dolls; Here are a few examples :

The Tiara

The Tiara is usually seen in two forms -

The first and earliest version, (seen in the four pictures above), is made of a short string of faux diamonds (or pearls and beads) in a flexible chain, fixed in the doll's hair

The second, and later version of the Tiara, is a narrow semi circular band of silver-coloured cast metal.  

As a general rule, Nisbet tiaras are usually (but not exclusively) worn by dolls depicting various members of the Royal Family

The Fillet or Diadem

The Fillet can be seen in many Nisbet dolls, usually as a metallic ribbon, cord, or band, worn around the forehead of the doll, as seen in the simple beauty of H/567 A Baron's Lady (above left), and the understated elegance of BR/340 Highland Gentlewoman of the 16th Century (above right)

The most stunning diadem worn by any Nisbet doll must be the cast metal version reserved for use on only two dolls - Both being models of the Statue of Liberty.   (These were the rare 1982 model P/777 Statue of Liberty, (which was verdigris green), and the 1986 model P/1045 Statue of Liberty - Restoration Model, (detail of which is shown in the two pictures above)

(The seven rays of Liberty's diadem form a halo or aureole, and evoke the sun, the seven seas, and the seven continents, and represent, (like her torch), the means whereby Liberty enlightens the world)

News

21st September 2023

 

Important Announcement

 

My dear wife, Christine, passed away on the 8th December, 2021, after 8 weeks in hospital. I was by her side, when she slipped away from me peacefully, with no pain or suffering.

 

Chris had been struggling with a slow decline in health, associated with a progressive, untreatable, and ultimately terminal lung disease, and finally succumbed to her old adversary, Pneumonia.

 

We had been friends for 55 years, together as a couple for 50 years, and married just a month short of 48 years, when she died.   

 

This website was Chris's idea, and I did all the technical stuff, to make it work.   After news of Chris's passing reached her close friends in the doll collecting world, I was deeply touched and gratified to hear their tributes to my dear wife, and I must thank them all for their kindness and support.   Ultimately, it was her doll friends that gave me the courage to continue with the website.

 

In the months before her eventual hospitalisation, Chris had outlined a number of additions and changes she wanted to make to the website, and it is my intention to honour those wishes, and to implement the changes we had considered, over the coming weeks and months.

 

I must apologise to all those who have written to us via the website, only to have your emails go unanswered.   Unfortunately, the email system had been hacked aroung the time Chris was going into hospital, and many emails must have been lost, as a result.

 

As you might imagine, I felt completely broken by Chris's loss, and it is only now, almost 22 months after her passing, that I have felt strong enough to even look at the website again.   

 

My aim is to continue with the website, and to implement Chris's aims for her many new ideas as soon as I can.   In the meantime, I have hopefully got the email system sorted out, and I will attempt to answer any enquiries as soon as I can, and to send replies with the same high degree of accuracy that a reply from Chris would have had.

 

From now on, I will be flying solo, whilst my co-pilot and guide will be soaring much higher, (though she is always in my heart, and in my thoughts).

 

My thanks to all our website visitors for your continued support

 

Dave (also known as Arthur), and Chris, (my lost love, Guinevere)

 

Christine Poulten

25th December 1949 - 8th December 2021