#84

Very Rare German Bisque Art Character Doll with Sculpted Hair and Elaborately Sculpted Bodice
8 Watching
Live Auction

Onsite
$5,500
sold
Hero Image
Click image to enlarge
Estimate
$8,000 / $12,000
Description
25" (64 cm.) Bisque shoulderhead turned to the left, sculpted blonde hair with arranged ringlet curls tumbling onto shoulders and held by a sculpted brown ribbon at the crown, sculpted ears fronted by tiny ringlet curls, painted grey/blue upper-glancing eyes, black upper eyeliner, lightly-feathered brows, blushed eyeshadow and cheeks, closed mouth with defined space between the gently-smiling lips, impressed dimples in philtrum, chin and cheeks, sculpted bodice with throat ruffle edged by gold band, ruffled collar and painted gilt designs, muslin stitch-jointed body, bisque lower arms, wearing white cotton dress and undergarments, leather shoes. Condition: generally excellent, chips on palm side of two finger tips. Comments: Germany, early 1900, the maker remains a mystery; the model was also offered as a parlor bust on pedestal, and was part of a series, of which #84 of this catalog is an example. Value Points: very rare character with exceptional quality of modeling, decoration and painting, the doll is featured in the book, The Rose Unfolds, by Rosalie Whyel and Susan Hedrick, pages 160/161 described as "one of the crowning jewels of the Museum's collection...dollmaking as an art form".