Onsite
Highest Bidder
$16,500
Sold
sold
Click image to enlarge
- Estimate
- $16,000 / $19,000
Gold Horse ListingDescription
22" (55 cm.) Bisque socket head with slender facial shape, well-defined jaw and cheek lines, painted blue eyes with dark outline, black upper eyeliner, one-stroke brows, accented nostrils, closed mouth with defined space between the full lips, brunette mohair bobbed wig, composition and wooden ball-jointed body, antique mariner suit and sailor hat with gilt lettering "Lutin". Condition: generally excellent, two tiny wig pulls at back of head under wig. Marks: K*R 107 55. Comments: Kammer and Reinhardt from their art character reform series, circa 1910, the doll was modeled under commission from the Berlin artist, Arthur Lewin-Funcke, based upon his original bronze sculpture "Portrait of a Boy" and marketed by K*R as "Karl". Value Points: finest modeling and artistic painting of the very rare model, especially in this size, original body and body finish, antique costume.
Stuart's Take
Working with Rosalie's family for weeks on this collection in Seattle, it suddenly became apparent that Rosalie really loved mariner costumes. They were featured on so many dolls! When I asked her daughter, Shelley, what about these costumes had such a connection for her mother, she was as surprised as me. Only working with the collection as a whole did anyone even notice it! It leaves one to wonder if Rosalie even realized over the context of nearly 40 years of serious collecting how much she connected with these outfits as well. Perhaps sometimes we are so close to our own collections we lose sight of a personal leaning and passion that we didn't even realize existed.