German Bisque Glass-Eyed "Fly-Lo" with Provenance Hand Written By Grace Storey Putnam

Live Auction

7.5" (19 cm.) head circumference. 10"l. Solid domed bisque head with flanged neck,deeply sculpted brown hair with wispy curls around the face,blue glass sleep eyes,black eyeliner,ochre eye shadow all around the eye sockets,tinted brows,accented nostrils,closed mouth with outlined lips,muslin baby body,celluloid hands,antique gown. Condition: generally excellent. Marks: copy. by Grace S. Putnam,made in Germany. Comments: "Fly-lo",designed by the American artist Grace Storey Putnam,and created in Germany,circa 1930. Value Points: extremely rare glass-eyed version of the rare doll in pristine condition with superb painting,and invaluable provenance,a hand-written note by Grace S. Putnam dated October 25,1943: "The Borgfeldt Corporation of N.Y. City after the success of the Bye-Lo Baby doll had urged me to create another doll. (I had not intended doing another one). But I modeled the "Fly-Lo"doll - used the Bye-Lo body pattern - only gave it a sitting position. It was supposed to be a fairy doll and was dressed in an all-over suit of satin,with wings at its back and a satin cap of same goods. But my company had wanted a baby doll that could be dressed and wheeled about by little children. The coming Depression of 1929 was already in evidence and the doll did not really get started on the market. Grace Storey Putnam".