Rare European Miniature Cloth Dolls with Rare Features

Live Auction

9" (23 cm). Each is a firmly-stuffed linen doll with detailed and intricate stitching of unjointed body shape, stitched-on head, stitch-defined fingers and toes, stitch-definition of elbow and knee joints, defined male and female body parts, and each with stitch-shaped face having applied stitch-on ears, painted blue outlined eyes, lips and brows, and with very fine brown silky flaxen hair (hers extended to waist and with original bows in hair, his with side part). Condition: generally excellent. Comments: European, circa 1870, a few other examples of these very distinctive dolls are known, in sizes from 3"-9", some in original costumes of the aristocracy; their maker remains unknown. Value Points: very rare early cloth dolls are near-perfectly preserved.