I've been researching antique dolls for a little while now, and I really like the French and German dolls. Kestner dolls were made in Germany from the 1820's until 1938.
She has a bisque shoulder head, brown sleep eyes, beautifully painted eyebrows, and lashes. Her cheeks are blushed a rosy pink. Her mouth is partially open and you can see her tiny teeth inside.
Believe it or not, I think my admiration for antique dolls started at Goodwill. I saw a large framed picture of an antique doll in Goodwill. The doll lover in me fell in love with the doll in that picture. I didn't buy the picture (kicking myself), but I did take a picture of it with my phone.
I came home and kept thinking about the beautiful antique doll in the picture. She wore a little pin on her dress that said Bebe. I looked up Bebe and found the Bebe Jumeau dolls. These very beautiful French dolls are in high demand and sell for thousands of dollars.
Since then, I started paying more attention to the antique dolls that I occasionally saw in antique stores, and I'd come home and research what I saw. I also started watching ebay auctions to get an idea of the current value. A few days ago, I decided to bid on this little Kestner and won.
She stands 16.5" tall.
She wears a brown wig that hangs in ringlets.
The back of her neck is marked 154 dep 5.
She has an ivory cotton dress with pin tucks and a ruffled collar. It closes in the back with snaps. She also came with black socks and black boots.
Her petticoat is made of the same fabric as her dress and has a lace trim. It closes in the back with a button and buttonhole closure.
Her pantaloons are also made of the same fabric, but they have a hook and eye closure.
She came with a straw hat that has the tiniest pink roses on it. I don't think the hat is old, but I can't tell if the clothes are old or not.
She has a gusseted kid leather body.
When you lay her down, her eyelids close.
I found a tear in the leather just under her bottom in the gusset where her leg bends at the hip. She is filled with a finely ground wood like sawdust. If anyone knows how to repair the kid leather, please let me know.
Her lower arms and hands are made of bisque. The red mark on the kid leather on her upper arm may be where she was originally marked Made in Germany in red.
Here she is all dressed back up and sitting on my bed with my antique doll tapestry pillows.
Finally here she is with Hitty Etta (which reminds me, I need a name for her).
Since Hitty Etta is named after my paternal Grandmother, I was thinking of naming her Lizzie, after my maternal Grandmother, Elizabeth. Or maybe Leah, after my husband's mother, who passed away almost 25 years ago, when we were expecting our oldest daughter.
I'd love to hear your thoughts and name suggestions. Please leave a comment below.
Hugs,
Lisa
Good morning Lisa,
ReplyDeleteYour new doll is beautiful! You've inspired me to do some research. We still have my father-in-law's doll. (He was born in 1918.) His name is Jimmy Doll. He has a cloth body stuffed with saw dust. His head, lower arms and shoes are some kind of composition material, perhaps wood or cardboard - I'm not sure. He wears a little sailor shirt but no pants. He has no markings that I know of. I've always wondered about his provenance. Fawn
Hi Fawn,
DeleteThat is so awesome that you have an old doll that has been a part of your family. It will be fun to research him and see what you can find out about his history. Good luck on your search!!!
Hugs,
Lisa
I always think antique dolls are the most fascinating things to look at, and your new doll here really lives up to that - she's lovely! The way the eyebrows are painted is such a lovely style, and so different from most modern dolls.
ReplyDeleteThank you jSarie! You're right about her eyebrows, they look very different from the way doll's eyebrows are painted today. I've never seen anything like the tiny individually sculpted teeth in modern dolls either.
DeleteHugs,
Lisa
She looks like a Margaret.
ReplyDeleteThanks for the suggestion Kaf Frum! Margaret is such a pretty name, and a little old fashioned like her. My brother's mother-in-law's name is Margaret. Margaret also reminds me of a character from my favorite show "Once Upon A Time", Mary Margaret (aka Snow White).
DeleteHugs,
Lisa
She's perhaps not my style of doll, but I can certainly appreciate how you must love her. I have a friend who simply adores antique dolls and has enough to begin a museum!! Looking at your doll I noticed how rosy her little chubby cheeks were, perhaps this would be a good name for her . . . Rose.
ReplyDeleteHi Xanadu! I'm beginning to wonder if I actually have a "style" of doll, since I have a little bit of everything. I love them all though, so I guess that's all that matters. I don't even think I could pick a favorite. If I did, I'm sure it would be constantly changing. Thanks so much for the name suggestion! I love the name Rose. I actually thought about that for her too, but I already have a Rosalee, my Fairyland BJD Juri.
DeleteHugs,
Lisa
That is a gorgeous Kestner! Her outfit is nice, as well. I hope you can get her body repaired.
ReplyDeleteThanks Barb! I talked to an antique doll collector, who is also an appraiser, and she said it would be pretty simple to repair. :)
DeleteHugs,
Lisa
She is very pretty. I think she is more of a Lizzie than a Leah, though. She and Etta look perfect together.
ReplyDeleteThank you Melody! I think you are right. Lizzie seems to fit her better.
DeleteHugs,
Lisa