#31

Grand Mid-1700s English Wooden Doll in Original Costume Known as "Miss Timber"
Live Auction

$135,000
sold
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Description
27" (69 cm.) One-piece carved wooden head and torso, oval-shaped rounded head with slender face and elongated throat, black enamel inset eyes, all-around eyeliner with accented eyelash dots, single-stroke arched brows with dot accents, finely-shaped nose and defined little chin, small closed mouth, delicately-blushed cheeks, slightly-defined ears, original brunette human hair wig in dainty ringlets, shapely front torso with defined bosom and tiny waist, cloth upper arms, wooden lower arms with separately-carved fingers and thumb, dowel-jointing at hips and knees, shapely lower legs. Condition: generally excellent. Comments: English, circa 1735, the complete provenance of the doll, who remained in the hands of her original family owners until this time, is recounted in the appendix article on pages 210-211 of this catalog. Value Points: outstanding state of preservation of the doll, her regal presence accentuated by her luxe size and original costume highlighted by hand-woven brocade gown with appliques of tiniest silver beading, lace fichu and delicately-embroidered apron, thickly-padded trapunto petticoat with transfer design, coin pocket, silk shoes and hat with complementary accent trim, and an extraordinary silk reticule with hand-painted design. Her early wooden keepsake box now guards the ragged paper in old faded script ink found tucked inside her hat. The paper simply states her name "Miss Timber", perhaps an homage to her regal size.