HOUSE-BROWSERS have been left shocked after spotting a golliwog doll hanging in the bedroom of an online property listing.
The three bedroom home in Stoke-on-Trent, Staffordshire has been put on the market for offers over £210,000 – but it is the hanging doll that has people talking.
Potential buyers were stunned to find the controversial doll hanging up in one of the images online.
In the 19th-century book it originates from, a “golliwog” doll was described as “a horrid sight, the blackest gnome”.
Its name has since been appropriated as a racist term for black people across the USA, Europe and Australia.
An image shows the easily-recognisable golliwog doll hanging from a curtain rail in one of the bedrooms.
On the wall adjacent to the doll, a wooden board reads ‘love, dream, smile’.
Online browsers have taken to social media after being taken aback by the sighting.
One said: “The fact it’s hanging makes it extra creepy somehow.”
Another wrote: “Not gonna lie, apart from the racist teddy, that’s a nice little house.”
A third added: “This is weird, I always keep mine chained up in the basement like a normal person.”
The golliwog doll was created in the late 19th Century by author Florence Kate Upton in a children’s book called ‘The Adventures of Two Dutch Dolls and a Golliwogg’.
It remained popular in the United Kingdom until the 1970s.
It is widely believed that a golliwog is a racist caricature towards black people of African descent with its dark skin, eyes rimmed in white and exaggerated lips.
Estate agent Yopa describes the property as: “Are you looking for a desirable three bedroom semi-detached property close to schools and in a fantastic location with fabulous views, then take a look at what this property can offer you.
“This stunningly presented three bedroom semi-detached property is warm, welcoming and ready to go.
“Lovingly cared for by its current owner for over 30 years and having benefited from modernisation over that time.”
