Rubens Barn
In 1996 ceramic designer Ewa Jarenskog came across a problem. Ewa had been successfully creating popular clay figurines with emotional, childlike and cheeky motives, but they weren’t suitable for children to play with. So Ewa and her friend, apparel designer Teruko Wahlström, started their journey together to create Rubens Barn.
They faced two main challenges. To capture the expressions of Ewa’s clay models in soft fabric, and to create a friend that would last a childhood of play. These challenges, along with the strong beliefs in the importance of developing empathy through play, and that children shouldn’t be hurried out of their childhood, have guided us at Rubens Barn until today.
We are extremely proud to have worked very closely with a family run producer in China for more than 16 years. They exclusively create Rubens Barn and most of the highly skilled seamstresses have been with us from the beginning, perfecting their craft and helping shape Rubens Barn to what it is today. We are mutually dependent on each other and have during these years created a strong friendship where we have thrived together.
Barn means children in Swedish and it is children that are our focus. A child playing and interacting with a Rubens Barn doll, developing their empathy to later become more understanding and sociable adults is what motives us. We are excited about focusing more on this emotional education and hope that you will join us on our journey!
A Rubens Barn doll takes over 100 different steps by hand to create. The faces of our dolls are sculptured in soft fabric, for a more emotional and realistic look. The eyes are important. They are embroidered and are what brings the dolls to life, and in combination with their warm cheeky smiles, makes a Rubens Barn doll an irresistible friend! Handmade Happiness!
Hair, skin & clothes for our organic cotton dolls are made with 100% certified organic cotton. Hair, skin & stuffing for all other handmade dolls are from 100% polyester. Bottom weight 100% calcium carbonate granule. All dolls can be machine washed at 30°C and tumble dried in low heat. All clothes should be hand washed.