Onsite
Highest Bidder
$32,000
Sold
sold
Click image to enlarge
- Estimate
- $28,000 / $40,000
Description
32" (81 cm.) All-wooden doll of slender-bodied woman, one-piece head and torso with oval-shaped head, elongated strong neck, modeled bosom with defined neckline, swivel waist, mortise and tenon jointing at shoulders, elbows, hips and knees, painted red flat shoes, black sculpted hair drawn smoothly behind the fully-sculpted ears and forming into a narrow braided coronet at her crown, which encircles a decorative red ornament, sculpted facial features, painted and outlined blue eyes in well-defined sockets, lightly feathered brows, closed mouth with primly set lips, wearing blue/ivory silk plaid high waisted gown with intricate detail of construction, undergarments, and earrings. Condition: generally excellent. Comments: Grodnertal, circa 1815, the details of carving and extra waist articulation, as well as her size, indicate luxury production. Value Points: wonderfully-preserved doll with great presence owns an extensive trousseau including three additional gowns, magnificent purple textured silk coat, extensive undergarments and accessories, two pairs of custom kid slippers, pockets, caps, and an early hide-covered wooden trunk. Several of the costumes have attached paper tag "Maude Middleton" likely indicating the name of original owner or the name given the doll. The doll was featured on the cover of Doll News, September 1995, and is featured in the book, The Heart of the Tree, by Rosalie Whyel and Jill Gorman, pages 70-75.
Stuart's Take
Prior to being displayed prominently in the Whyel Museum, this doll was actually in the private collection of beloved collector, Jim Fernando, who later sold, 'Maude" to Rosalie.