Extremely Rare German Bisque Art Character, Model 104, by Kammer and Reinhardt

Live Auction

19" (48 cm.) Bisque socket head depicting an older child with very angular oval face and highly-characterized sculpting detail at brows, below the eyes and around the mouth, painted blue eyes that are slightly side-glancing, heavy upper eyelids with thick black liner, one-stroke short brows, rounded nose tip, closed mouth with sculpted space between the shaded lips, impressed cheek, chin and philtrum dimples, blonde mohair wig, composition and wooden ball-jointed body, antique schoolgirl costume, shoes, socks, and woven bonnet. Condition: generally excellent. Marks: K*R 104. Comments: Kammer and Reinhardt from their art reform character series of 1910. According to primary research by Marianne and Jurgen Cieslik, it is known that the doll was sculpted by the noted German artist, Arthur Lewin-Funcke; his daughter Karin served as the model and a hand-written note by the artist describes it only as "104: Girl laughing". Further research by the Cieslik's indicates the model was a commercial failure, only some were used in the Berlin shops for decoration. Few examples were ever made; only three or four others are known to exist today. Value Points: superb unplayed state of preservation of the extremely rare doll which has been in the possession of only the original family for 70 years and then with one collector for 39 years. Included with the doll is its original labeled box "K*R Charakterpuppe" indicating its production for the German market, a second original wig of hand-tied human hair and a second bonnet.