Very Rare German Art Character Doll, Possibly Prototype, with Important Lineage
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Live Auction
Onsite
Highest Bidder
$19,000
Sold
sold
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Estimate
$8,000 / $12,000
Description
16" (41 cm.) Textured sculpted composition socket head depicting a young lad, deeply-sculpted light brown tousled hair, defined ears, painted blue eyes, one-stroke angled brows, closed mouth with very full pouting lips, defined chin, composition and wooden ball-jointed body, wearing original black woolen gentleman's suit with brocade vest, tucked shirt, bow tie, socks, black shoes, and with top hat. Condition: generally excellent. Comments: circa 1909, the maker of this mystery doll involves both Marion Kaulitz and Kammer & Reinhardt. A bisque bust of this same model had been created in 1898 by the sculptor Lewin-Funcke, who was later commissioned by Kammer and Reinhardt to create the heads of their art character series so it seems likely that this head is one of his commissioned works for K*R. On the other hand, the material of this head and its stylized texturing bears the distinctive touch of Marion Kaulitz art doll workshops. It is known that K*R and Kaulitz had a fractured relationship and one ponders the role of this rare doll in that clash. Value Points: only one other example of this doll, likely a prototype, is known to exist, its rarity rivaled by its artistry and mystery.
Stuart's Take
The mystery of this doll is what truly captures the imagination. Florence is far more cautious about speculation than I am, preferring a very subtle approach to documenting history. I tend to be go further. While she won't say it directly, for me only two theories on the maker of this piece seem to be possible. First, that Kammer and Reinhardt, fascinated by the success of Kaulitz in art circles in Germany, decided to take her style of designs and experiment with a non-bisque version of their beloved Karl model, fearing a new trend in materials coming to popularity. On the reverse, one could also conjecture that Kaulitz produced this in her studio as a tactic against K*R, who she felt was infringing on her designs with their character dolls. It's interesting to wonder which, or if a third possibility is out there. Of course, it's also likely that we will never get the answer to this mystery. Whichever, the doll still stands as a stunning portrait of which only one other is known.
