Vtg 1997 Chatelaine Porcelain Doll NRFB NIB Macy's Federated Historical Archive

DETAILED HISTORICAL & PROVENANCE DOSSIER Item Identification: Chatelaine Fine Collectible Doll (Item No. CD-16894) Year of Production: 1997 Manufacturing Origin: Made in China (Hand-Crafted Bisque Porcelain) Exclusive Distribution: Federated Department Stores, Inc. (Macy's Holiday Corporate Line) Current Preservation Status: Vault-Grade Archive Condition / NRFB (Never Removed From Box) 1. The Heritage Behind the Name Châtelaine The branding chosen for this high-tier collectible line carries rich aristocratic and historical weight. In Medieval France, and later revitalized during the European Victorian and Edwardian eras, the Châtelaine (The Mistress of the Chateau) was the woman responsible for managing all the internal operations of a grand estate or castle. As a physical symbol of her high status and authority, she wore an ornamental metal clasp or hook at her waist (also called a chatelaine), from which chains hung holding keys, scissors, watches, and fine sewing tools. By naming the brand Châtelaine, the corporate designers targeted the late-20th-century American desire for Old-World European luxury, romanticism, and the high-society elegance of the 19th century. 2. The Cultural Phenomenon: The 1990s American Porcelain Doll Boom The date stamped on the box—1997—places this doll at the absolute pinnacle of a massive socioeconomic trend in the United States: the Great Porcelain Doll Collecting Phenomenon.