Two Sculpted Paper Mache Dolls by Violet Powell Gifted to Shirley Temple

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16" (41 cm.) Two hand-sculpted paper mache head dolls depicting village people of the Aran Islands off Galway Bay, each with padded armature body, including an aged woman with grey mohair wig and woolen costume with with shawl, apron, head scarf, with attached paper note indicating the doll portrayed "Old Breeze", who was a professional mourner; and man with sculpted beard and hair, wearing woolen fisherman's outfit depicting Shanneen Tom, the storyteller of the village. Both dolls have paper tags telling of their background and indicating the artist, Violet M. Powell; Powell, the celebrated Irish sculptor, won prizes for her dolls at antique shows throughout the US during her extended visit in 1941. Earlier she sent these two dolls, and two child dolls (#530) as a gift to Shirley Temple, who noted this in her 1945 memoir, My Young Life, when speaking of her doll collection: "There are two Irish character dolls, Shanneen Tom, the storyteller, and an old crone named Old Breeze who is a professional ...weeper at funerals". Generally excellent. Circa 1937.