Petronella Oortman's Dollhouse (ca. 1690);

According to legend, this dollhouse from around 1690 was so expensive, that Tsar Peter the Great, who had wanted to buy it, could not afford it. While this may be an exaggeration, the owner, Petronella Oortman (1656-1716), a rich Amsterdam merchant’s wife, certainly spent a small fortune on it. With this amount, 30,000 guilders, she could have bought a second mansion.
From chamber pots to embroidered napkins, the details of the dollhouse form a rich source of information about (the ideas on) fashionable as well as daily life items of the Dutch urban rich. The dollhouse was a valuable asset for which furniture, fabrics, paintings, silver and chinaware were commissioned from well-known artists and craftsmen.
The house was obviously not meant as a toy for small children; moreover, even viewing it was reserved for the most important visitors. Built as a status symbol for a female adult in the 17th century, today the dollhouse is a favorite item among young visitors of the Rijksmuseum.