American Black Folk Doll as Portrait of Aged Man by Leo Moss

Live Auction

17" (43 cm.) Hand-pressed paper mache shoulderhead depicting an aged black man with bald pate,incised age wrinkles,heavy eye lids,highly characterized face,brown glass upper glancing eyes,thickly sculpted brows,closed mouth with somber expression,tightly sculpted beard and sideburns,black muslin body with button-jointing at shoulders and hips,black paper mache lower arms and legs,original costume includes unusual paper shirt (frail) and woolen suit. Condition: generally excellent. Comments: unique portrait doll,one-of-a-kind,hand sculpted by Georgian artist,Leo Moss,circa 1900. The doll was previously exhibited in the Antique Dollhouse Museum of Galveston Texas until its auction in 1987,and was later acquired by Mary Young. Value Points: outstanding example of the artistic talent of the unschooled American artist,presented in very fine original condition and costume.