Antique DOLL Collector April 2012 Vol. 15, No. 3
April 2012 Vol. 15, No. 3 $595 / $695 Canada www.antiquedollcollector.com
LONG LIVE THE KING! A UFDC 2011 Special Exhibit
I
Photographed at the 2011 National UFDC Convention by Keith Kaonis reported by Donna C. Kaonis
f you ever doubted the prolificacy of Kestner, last year’s UFDC special exhibit would have put those doubts to rest. Their long years of dollmaking from 1815 to 1938 witnessed countless changes in production techniques, materials and of course the “look” of the dolls as tastes and styles changed over the years. The exhibit included an overview of Kestner production from early papier mache, china and parian to bisque doll production: early closed mouth dolls, open mouth “dolly” face dolls, character children and babies, all bisques, dollhouse dolls, half dolls . . . what didn’t Kestner make? One of the few companies to make the entire doll, Kestner also sold bisque heads to Catterfelder Puppenfabrik and Kley and Hahn. Marina Tagger and Maureen Herrod, in charge of this ambitious project, described the experience as a labor of love. (Readers became acquainted with Marina and her love of Kestners in an article written by Maureen Herrod in our February 2011 issue). “The planning began a year in advance, with a steady follow up of countless hours of prep work, calling collectors in order to secure their dolls for the exhibit, networking, gathering information, data, materials and ideas in order to make this exhibit a success. What took a tremendous amount of time was the tag making, which each doll ended up wearing on her wrist, or the cards which were used in the display cases! I wanted to make certain that they were just so, and that they contained a easy to read/understand format for attendees to enjoy,” said Marina. (As an attendee I found the informative tags to be extremely helpful.) 18
ANTIQUE DOLL COLLECTOR
APRIL 2012
The greeters, a group of open mouth bisque dolls from the early 1900’s were there to welcome us to the Kestner exhibit. Note the doll with the original chemise embellished with the Kestner crown trademark, first used around 1896.
Papier Maches from the 1840s and 1850’s. Bodies are typically turned wood and papier mache. To avoid conflict with paper millers who held exclusive rights in Waltershausen for the making of paper and cardboard, Kestner used a formula comprised of “straw, moss, hay, thistles, bark, etc.” Christiane Grafnitz’s book Papier Mache Dolls is an extensive study of the leading German doll producers. The doll with the elaborate molded blue cap is pictured on the Kestner sample sheets. One the earliest dolls in the exhibit was this paper mache with molded carton hat and inserted hair in the back. The gentleman soldier is on a wood body with a molded cap. Note the array of millinery on the Kestner sample sheets. Rococo Lady with molded hair and necklace, c. 1850’s. She is an exact match to the sample sheet behind her.
ANTIQUE DOLL COLLECTOR
APRIL 2012
19
Blackberry Studio Margaret Gray Kincaid Tel. 410.323.0373 Cell: 646-709-4340 Margaret.kincaid@gmail.com Member NADDA and UFDC
Join the Easter Parade!
Left to right: Closed mouth DEP size 12 Jumeau, 24”, all original, $3500; Precious size 8 Tete Jumeau, 18”, $4750; Magnificent Portrait Jumeau, size 10 with original clothes, 24”, $16,000.
26
ANTIQUE DOLL COLLECTOR
APRIL 2012
Learning About American-Made Dolls
The Jessie McCutcheon Raleigh Firm
Some Very Exciting New Discoveries by Ursula R. Mertz Photos by Christopher Partridge
A
t a doll show I spotted a 13” Raleigh doll with painted hair and barrette. The top of the head was not in good condition. I examined her, trying to decide if I should buy her. I had been searching for an example for a very long time. It looked as if some of the hair had been hand painted. That was news to me. All the Raleigh dolls that I had bought for my collection or seen at shows had air brushed hair. The purchase was made. At home the doll was examined at leisure. To my surprise I realized that the entire hairdo had been hand painted, even the hairline and the so-called “soft” transition from skin to hair all around the head. Strands of hair were painted in soft waves and varying color tones for the entire hairdo. When examining the painted features on this doll I found that more care was taken with them as well. While on all Raleigh dolls the irises are painted with some modeling and highlights, the irises here were subtly blended from dark on the outer rim to light near the pupil, giving the illusion of roundness. Eyebrows and lashes were done in soft, light tones. Teeth were also individually painted and are
In this illustration the realistically painted eyes and teeth can be examined. Note the hairline. It was all hand painted, not air brushed. 14” Marks: None, all composition, fully jointed with steel springs. Redressed. All dolls illustrated with this article were produced in this manner. Raleigh Dolls are never marked.
In the side view of the head we can study the carefully painted hair. Rich tones of light brown to blonde are covered with fine lines, representing individual hairs. Unfortunately, the other side of the head shows extensive damage. I did want to point out the beautifully hand painted barrette, showing a flying insect, delicately rendered, flanked on both sides with the side view of the same insect. It is hoped that there will be a collector who can show us a picture of an undamaged barrette with this same decoration. ANTIQUE DOLL COLLECTOR
APRIL 2012
27
Silk Mask Dolls of Japan by Judith Scott
This doll clearly shows the mask a geisha paints on while to the right a real geisha puts the finishing touches on hers.
Circa 1900 or earlier, this doll resembles the Edo woodblock at right. It is unusual to find a Ningyo wearing her hair down in such a common daily activity. Every inch of her is hand stitched.
38
ANTIQUE DOLL COLLECTOR
APRIL 2012
S
he can be flirtatious, coy, innocent or beckoning, her white complexion the backdrop for painted eyes and a red rosebud mouth. Her gait is slow and her stance always graceful. She is perfection itself, the Japanese geisha. Of all the Ningyo (human figure or doll) Japan produced that imitated this female icon, the silk-faced dolls and the silk Sakuras best reflect the geisha’s perfection. The soft face and flexible fingers and limbs of these dolls allow for realism, movement and a unique interaction with its owner not found in the hard shell gofun doll which preceded it. The best silk faced Ningyo were carefully constructed by a practiced doll maker who “is always concerned with the texture of the material and even with the shape of the body and is most interested in communicating movement. The arms and hands in a graceful position, the head is turned away from the body and the legs are drawn back from the front position.
Stress must be put on the loveliness and is the center of the problem from the beginning to the end.” (Uchioke and Abston, Sakura Dolls of Japan, 1963, Tokyo, Japan) Japan has an ancient interest in miniatures, fabrics, and papers, all of which come together beautifully in Ningyo. The first simple Ningyo that incorporated silk was fashioned around 1192 AD. These had bamboo bodies, a wooden head covered in silk and facial features that were absent or simply painted on. These were used as a talisman to ward off sickness or evil. In time they were made wearing a silk kimono and maybe even an outer brocade one as well and eventually became a gift or a play thing. In the Edo period (1615-1868) dolls became quite exquisite and collectible, and were often given as an expensive gift. They accurately portrayed the costumes of the day down to the tiniest detail. The heads and hands were made using gofun (a mixture made of ground oyster shells and seaweed glue). Glass eyes were inserted behind the white mask. This was the practice for doll making until the Taisho period (19121926) when silk is once again used and facial features painted on. The bodies of these dolls are straw, covered with cloth. A paper mache mask is formed under the silk that covers its face. It is fitting that it is called a “mask”, as there is great significance in the use of masks in Japanese Noy and Kobuki theatre. Even the white painted face of the geisha harkens back to the importance of the mask as defining a character or hiding one’s real identity. The Lady with Bird, Young Girl and Heian Beauty are wonderful examples of a skilled craftsman making important Ningyo. No expense is spared in the amount of silk used, the number of layers of kimono or the size of the doll. They most likely date from before the 1900’s and measure 26”. Most dolls sold after the 1920’s were 13 to 18” tall.
Lady with Bird: Her kimonos at the bottom form a perfect circle around her. Because of the helmet we know she is from the house of a Samuri warrior still in favor. When these men were not needed in later years, their daughters often became Oiron or courtesans, a highly paid entertainer. It was these, not the geisha that were paid for other favors.
Young Girl: The loose hair, the red kimono, worn by children for good luck and health are indications that she represents a young girl. The long sleeves of her kimono tell us she is still a child as only geisha and children wore them. Again the amount of fabric used is abundant. The obi tie is thickly padded and her obi is designed just for this doll, not made of a common fabric as later dolls.
ANTIQUE DOLL COLLECTOR
APRIL 2012
39
Stockings For Chiffonnette by Sylvia Mac Neil
I
Chiffonnette, a 17 ¾ inch doll attributed to Huret, stands barefoot, amidst an array of stockings, from soft, pastel tints to bold stripes and dashing plaids. She is charming, in her snood of bright red and cream Cluny lace trimmed with a bow of red, silk ribbon, with a cord of red silk at the back. Her chemisette of fine batiste features rows of hand-sewn tucks in front, and is trimmed with delicate Broderie Anglaise which matches the lightness of the fabric. The petticoat of finest cotton, borrowed for this eventful, inspiring occasion, is garnished with rows of dainty, white Valenciennes lace insertion and edging. Her hoopskirt is fashioned from antique, cotton mesh and an antique, lady’s hoop, complete with the slightly rusted, covered bands of steel and small, brass fastenings. 44
ANTIQUE DOLL COLLECTOR
APRIL 2012
n drawing our studies from the nineteenth century World of Fashion, we are made cognizant of the fact that the topic of stockings did not necessarily occupy a prominent place among the requirements of a trousseau. There was, however, a certain amount of space allotted to the subject in the popular ladies’ books of the time. If one chose to venture into the world, it was best to conform to its basic rules of etiquette. In the art of dressing, one was obliged, to some degree, to imitate the French, who, by general acknowledgment, were referred to as the most tasteful of societies. As regards evening footwear, elegant satin shoes were favored, ornamented with black or white lace, or bugles and pearls, and produced a pretty effect when corresponding with the rest of the costume. Silk stockings also embroidered with beads were worn with these shoes. Black satin slippers were considered the most suitable and becoming, as they reduced the apparent size of the foot. Black kid slippers were also worn, richly embroidered with jet. Others were made of silks and satins, some richly quilted. With these dress slippers stockings of silk with colored, silk clocks were worn. Clocks are ornamental, embroidered finishes to the leg and instep of knitted stockings and socks. They were stitched in silk in a color that either matched or contrasted with the stockings they adorned. The name given to this decoration is considered to have originated in the resemblance to the pendulum of a clock. During this period, toilet slippers were more fanciful than ever, being made of red, green, violet, or other color Moroccan leather, with heels to match. They were garnished on the toe with large bows of velvet or silk, in the center of which were huge buckles of steel, gilt, or jet. With these slippers, white silk stockings spotted with the same color as the leather were worn. For daytime, shoes with dainty, curved heels and pretty kid boots
Here’s Chiffonnette, donning a charming pair of silk, plaid stockings in soft shades of coral, charcoal and cream. A separate band of buff at the top, and a sole of the same buff, were cut from a different pair of socks, and set off nicely the colors in the plaid. The dots of coral, silk chenille in her snood match her stockings perfectly.
with high heels and silk tassels were considered in the best taste. They matched one of the colors of the ensemble, and silk stockings the other color. Ladies who did not wish a pair of shoes for each toilette, adopted, with dark dresses, black shoes with black silk stockings, and with light ones bronze shoes with pearl-gray stockings. For a lady’s skating costume, Balmoral hose were adopted. They were made in rounds of half an inch or so, in two colors, such as black and magenta, black with blue, or other hues to match the costume. Other favorites for skating were stockings of brilliant scarlet, or plaids of the brightest but most harmonious combinations. We can imagine, though perhaps merely a Parisian caprice, the distinguished appearance of a young Fashionable wearing Balmoral boots, bright Balmoral skirts, and still brighter Balmoral hose. In the most dreary weather, there was still a flaunting of bright skirts and a glancing of pretty faces on the ice and upon the pavement. Colored stockings were extremely fashionable for children, bright red, both in silk or wool, being the favorite; they adopted the same gay stripes and prettiest plaids. Also popular were gaiters of the same color as the dress, but children from two to four years of age, wore white, knitted gaiters decorated with clocks. Not to be overlooked, research material regarding stockings for dolls was found in the well known and everpopular, La Poupée Modèle. There were two patterns featured, one was printed in the first year of its publication, in March, 1864, and the other was in February, 1872. The pattern changed little, if any. The 1864 pattern is featured here: “…stockings which are cut from an old stocking and are sewn in an overcast stitch, on the wrong side, all the length of the leg.” In a footnote, this information, always with a keen eye towards business: “You will find at the house of mademoiselle Péronne,
All the featured stockings, fashioned from antique ladies’ stockings, are made using the pattern from the March, 1864, issue of La Poupée Modèle, and will fit a lady doll, or a child Huret or Rohmer, from 17 to 18 inches tall. They have a nice curve at the ankle, a squared heel, and separate soles with rounded toes. The socks at the left are made up in a soft, cotton plaid of pinks, gray and cream. A separate band at the top and the soles are made of plain cream. Fancy was allowed more liberty with the stockings on the right. They are made from lacey, knit, cream-colored cotton stockings. A textured band in the socks was placed at the top, giving the appearance of original, doll stockings. ANTIQUE DOLL COLLECTOR
APRIL 2012
45