An interest in South American and Eastern European art led Girard to create the first wooden dolls for his own home. The collection in production today contains an irreverent range of animal and human-like characters. Doll No. 9 appears as a slightly cantankerous being with a rather beautiful colour scheme.
Designer Alexander Girard was born to an American mother and an Italian father in 1907 in New York City. Along with his close friends and contemporaries George Nelson and Charles & Ray Eames, Girard was one of the leading figures of postwar American modern design.
Textile design was the main focus of his wide-ranging design career which also encompassed architecture, interior design, furniture design and industrial design. Perhaps his most iconic designs are his collection of hand-painted Wooden Dolls with are now produced under licence by Vitra.
