Lifelike babies on display at fair

WANT a doll that looks, moves and feels almost exactly like a newborn? Or how about a baby Avatar, or a half human-half piglet?

The whole range was on display at a trade fair in Bilbao, northern Spain, showcasing ‘Reborn Babies’ made by Spanish company Babyclon, one of a small number of firms worldwide that cater to a particular subculture of collectors who value the dolls’ unsettling realism. Because of their astoundingly realistic look, they are already sending ripples through the industry.

Some of the basic silicone dolls cost almost N$8 419, while high-end models equipped with motors that make the doll appear to breathe or suck on a pacifier, cost nearly N$21 170.

They are made from platinum medical silicone, a flexible and elastic material, highly resilient for long-term ownership.

As well as human babies, and ones that look like the blue aliens from the film ‘Avatar’, the company makes baby chimpanzees, tiny mermaids and infants with elf-style pointed ears.

Babyclon also works in the cinema industry, creating lifelike human and animal models for movies.

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