American Black-Complexioned Wax Artist Doll by Mary McEwen

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21" (53 cm.) Hand-sculpted wax head with rich brown complexion, expressive prominent chin, brown glass side-glancing eyes, closed mouth, bald pate, original wire-framed body wrapped in cloth and with large sculpted wax hands in expressive pose, original costume. Condition: generally excellent. Comments: Mary McEwen, circa 1920, the wax artist learned her trade from her husband's business, McEwen Wax Works, which made wax mannequins for store displays; after her husband's death, McEwen moved to Seattle, and according to legend, began to create miniature wax people using the same techniques employed in her husband's business. For about 20 years, she is said to have produced hundreds of these small dolls, each individually sculpted and each entirely made by her. Value Points: rarely found, all original doll with distinctive modeling, unusual features such as glove-painted hands.