German Cloth Character by Kathe Kruse, Early Series I

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17" (43 cm.) All-cloth doll with three back head seams, firmly-pressed and oil-painted hair and facial features, dark brown hair with feathered curls at forehead, blushed ears, very small blue painted eyes, black and brown narrow upper eyeliner, rounded small nose, small closed mouth, painted body finish, stitch-jointed arms and separately-stitched thumbs, disc-jointed legs. Condition: generally excellent, early retouch of hair and nose tip. Marks: Kathe Kruse 801 (feet). Comments: Kathe Kruse, an early version of the 1st series doll, the body was made with the painted body for a very short time only, circa 1912; the painted body, which was designed to preserve the doll, was discontinued after one year as Kathe Kruse realized that the softness she sought in a doll was defeated by the stiff finish. Value Points: rare Kruse doll with well-modeled and painted facial features, excellent and rare body.