Pair of Antique Hand-Painted China Dolls
Item Details
A pair of antique hand-painted porcelain dolls. The dolls appear to date to the late nineteenth or early twentieth century. Both have hand-painted china or porcelain heads and shoulders, with hand-painted hair and facial features. Both dolls have cloth bodies, and upper limbs, with cloth or china hands and feet. One doll wears a purple skirt with a fitted waist, which appears to be machine-sewn. She has white glazed china forearms and hands, and china lower legs, which have hand-painted blue boots. The other doll is wearing a lavish, hand-stitched purple and white dotted silk skirt and a purple long sleeved silk jacket with a tiered, ruffled hem or bustle. The doll has a lace kerchief tied at the neck, with a row of close-set white buttons down the front of the jacket. The dolls arms appear to be made of wax or some other material over a layer of muslin cloth. Underneath, The legs appear to be made of cloth. The doll wears a pleated slip, a pair of eyelet trimmed pantaloons, white knit leggings or socks, and small leather or fabric shoes. Neither are marked.
Condition
- both dresses have wear, damaged areas or discoloration; some of the dolls’ costumes may be original; some appear to have been restored or replaced, though with period-appropriate materials and styles
- some marks and paint wear on the heads/hands of dolls
- cloth bodies appear to be later restorations, using new, but period-appropriate materials and techniques, and the the restoration appears to be expertly done
Dimensions
measured lot as a whole
Item #
17DEN008-330-001
