TOY
DOLLS
BISQUE
TOY DOLLS
The
first ceramic dolls were produced in the mid-i8th century, hut they
did not become popular until a century later when various European
factories made dolls with bisque (biscuit, or unglazed porcelain)
heads. Most early 18th-century bisque dolls were made in France, but
few bear a maker's mark. There are some exceptions, however: dulls
made by Madame Barrois often have 'EB' cut into the shoulder plate
(moulded in one piece with the head); Mademoiselle Huret, who was
responsible for the first articulated body, stamped her mark on
her dolls and even on their dresses.
For
most collectors, the rarity and price of early bisque dolls puts them
out of reach: a stamped
Huret doll dressed in original clothes may he worth as much as
£15,000. However, among the most affordable are small Francois
Gaultier dolls which may go for under £500 From about the last
quarter of the Ja century, bisque dolls were made in mil larger
quantities, in Geraeruu .is well asl France. Factories used n' making
moulds in often iderked the heand even individual easier most
makers' in moulds were for idealised 'dolLst commhich were turned out
in quantity; most French and German dolls from such moulds now change
hands tor between £300 and £500. Far more scarce are dolls from
so-called 'character' moulds, which were often modelled on real
children. Dolls with these heads now fetch very high prices - for
example, the £91,000 paid in ig8y for a lyoy kammer and Reinhardt
doll bearing the rare mould number 105.
Identifying
character moulds means knowing something about the numbering
systems of the various manufacturers. The French early
bisque kewpie with arms outstretched, blue wings and topknot, made
byJ.D. Kest- ner, would sell for£120-£180.
TOY DOLLS |
Most
collectors concentrate on Barbie dolls from before the 1970s, when
the original bulbous-eyed, snub-nosed features began to change and
the quality deteriorated. Later models are not popular in
Britain, although in the USA they can be worth several pounds in good
condition. Clothes alone,
such
as the 'Roman Holiday' outfit,
can
be worth as much as £500.
TOY DOLLS
TOY DOLLS |
TOY DOLLS |
Sakura-ningyo
are probably the most familiar to Westerners, many having been
exported over the past 150 years. The favourite subjects for shelf
dolls were warriors, heroes and beautiful women from the traditional
Kabuki
theatre. A mid-19th century Japanese warrior might fetch £4oo-£6oo,
and dolls made for export at the turn of this century usually sell
for £100-£ 150.
Festival
dolls were handed down in families from generation to generation. The
most expensive had embroidered silk costumes and delicate features,
but such a pair of dolls might only reach £200 300 at auction today.
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