Title / object name Doll’s armour
| Maker | Date |
| Television New Zealand | 1974 - 1988 |
Materials cardboard, feather, paint
| Dimensions |
| Overall | 375 (Height) x 170 (Width) x 127 (Depth) mm |
Classification costume, armors, doll accessories
Registration Number GH014715
Credit LineGift of Television New Zealand, 2005
Hardly a knight in shining armour, this tiny suit is made to simulate iron.
Silver-coloured painted cardboard tubes and pieces obviously wouldn’t have offered much in the way of safety in combat. Real European armour was made up of plates using a number of materials, most commonly iron, or steel, or hardened leather. The plates provided protection from lethal weapons of war or jousting.
This cardboard armour, however, suits its purpose: it was made for the children’s television programme Play School, which aired in New Zealand from 1975 to 1990.
Play School was originally a BBC production in the United Kingdom. The New Zealand version was adapted for the local audience, with content relevant to New Zealand children including a Mäori toy called Manu. The Play School toys - Big Ted, Little Ted, Jemima, Humpty and Manu - are instantly recognisable by New Zealanders who grew up in the 1970s to 1990s. Te Papa has all the toys apart from Little Ted.