Chinese Wooden Amah and Young Child Dolls from Door of Hope Mission

Live Auction

12" (30 cm.) and 6" (child). Each has carved wooden head with carved and lightly tinted facial features (the child with gentle smile), carved hair (Amah with chignon, baby with defined medallion of hair at crown), firmly stuffed muslin body, wooden hands. Condition: generally excellent. Comments: Chinese Door of Hope mission circa 1920. Value Points: rare models depicting the caregiver Amah, and child which she carries in a cord wrapped sling on her back, each with original costume, Amah with polished cotton tunic having soutache trim and short blue pants, black slippers; and the baby with embroidered silk collar and cap with fringed silk "ears". During the 1920s, young Mary Louise Ulmer of Pottsville, Pa. traveled with her parents to China and other countries of the Far East, collecting artifacts from those voyages. These artifacts remained in the family holdings for three generations, until this time, a century later, during which they have been carefully nurtured and preserved. Among the artifacts are the Door of Hope dolls presented here, for the first time on the collecting market. A copy of the letter of provenance is presented with each doll.