$4,000
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Description
12" (30 cm.) Maypole, 1 1/2" and 3" dolls. A wooden circular base with green curly wool yarn to simulate grass has a center maypole beneath a wire framework filled with garlands of silk and wool flowers and leaves, and with silk ribbons leading to the miniature dolls below; the dolls of carved wood with sculpted and painted hair and facial features, fully articulated limbs, original silk costumes with lace and soutache trim, comprising nine larger dolls, and four smaller. Generally excellent, some expected dustiness to flowers. Germany, early 19th century. There is an undocumented connection of this 19th century Maypole scene to Shirley Temple's childhood admiration of Jeannette MacDonald and Nelson Eddy. The couple had starred in a 1937 MGM film "Maytime", the story of a 19th century opera singer which had a Maypole setting, just a short time after Shirley Temple finished her opera performance in "Captain January".