ORIENTAL dolls hand-crafted by a world-renowned artist are on display at a North-East museum.

Durham's Oriental Museum is the venue for the exhibition by Jean Walker, 78, from Teesside.

After making her first doll at the age of eight, Ms Walker, a retired beauty therapy lecturer and theatrical make-up artist, has developed her pastime into a business.

Specialising in Oriental dolls, her work is well known to enthusiasts and collectors throughout the world, and has attracted 22 blue ribbons, five best in category awards and four top professional awards.

Ms Walker said: "I just love working with Oriental materials.

"I make every part of the dolls - their heads, hands and bodies, and their costumes are researched.

"In this exhibition, there are Japanese, Chinese and Thai dolls, but mainly Japanese.

"They vary in size from about 31 inches to about five-and-a-half inches high."

The exhibition runs until November 9.