American Black-Complexioned Stockinette Folk Doll Attributed to Lancaster Rag

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18" (46 cm.) Stockinette face doll with firmly-pressed and oil-painted facial features, dark brown complexion, dark rounded-shape eyes, painted black brows, shaped nose, closed mouth in smiling expression with impressed laughter lines at lip corners, row of painted teeth, black tightly-cropped fleecy yarn hair, brown muslin body with stitch-jointing, antique cotton dress, undergarments, knit stockings, black laced boots, red cotton sun bonnet. Condition: generally excellent. Comments: American, 1890, the doll is known as Lancaster Rag in deference to the Lancaster, Pennsylvania location where most existing similar dolls have been found, possibly made by family members of Lancaster artist Charles Demuth whose mother was known for her fine needlework. One Lancaster Rag Doll has been located with an attached note stating that it was purchased from the Ladies Repository which was founded to allow "women of good character who had come upon hard times" to make a living from their needlework skills. Value Points: rare doll in fine original state of preservation.