The word "doll" comes from the Greek work, "eidolon", meaning idol. "Rag doll" refers generically to dolls made of any fabric while "cloth doll" refers to a subset of rag dolls made of linen or cotton, but these terms vary some what and a cloth doll can be made from other materials besides linen or cotton and still be called such.
Defining what an art doll is is a bit more complicated. Since dolls are usually seen as simple play things, it can be difficult to think of them as being something completely different. As with any other form of art, what definses a doll as art is just as hard to pin down beyond the fact that they are meant to evoke emotions and to provoke reactions. An art doll, like any other piece of art, is always in some way singular or unique and it has a meaning, a soul.

This selection of rag/cloth dolls is just a handful of all the wonderful dolls that can be found in the Plushie gallery here on DA.



If you come across a plushie you'd like to see featured in the next installment of Plushology or if you are/know of a plushie artist in need of some attention, let me know!