$1,300
Sold
sold
Click image to enlarge
Description
6" (15 cm.) -15". Each has head of paper mache or wax over paper mache depicting a solid domed baby, five with swivel head, each with glass eyes, closed mouth, painted facial features and wisps of hair, fabric mid-torso with bellows interior which, when squeezed, causes the doll to cry "mama", paper mache lower torso, hands and feet, wooden lower arms and legs that are loosely jointed in the manner of earlier Japanese mitsuore dolls. Condition: overall good with some play wear. Comments: Mid-1880s, one is Japanese in the manner of that doll which is said to have inspired these German taufling babies, and the other six are German with variations of expression, including the tiniest which is in original swaddling costume, and two others are wax over paper mache. Value Points: a wonderful study group of the important historical dolls which are considered the precursors of French and German ball-jointed child dolls.