Very Important Set of Miniature Dolls Depicting "Struwwelpeter" Characters by Kathe Kruse, in Original Box with Provenance

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4 1/2" (11 cm.) -7". Each doll with cloth/composition head having painted and/or stitched facial features, cotton thread wigs, padded metal armature bodies for posing with separated fingers, and each wearing original brightly-colored costumes; many dolls having original inventory numbers hidden under costumes indicating their story role. Condition: generally excellent state of preservation with few early fabric wears. Comments: Kathe Kruse, 1920s, the set of storybook miniature dolls comprise 24 characters that appeared in the 19th century German children's book, Struwwelpeter, by Heinrich Hoffman, and were created by the German dollmaker in the style of her very rarely found dollhouse dolls. The set was especially commissioned from Kathe Kruse by the Swiss artist, Erica Van Kager, a close friend of the dollmaker. Van Kager then created the unique box in which the set has been stored for the past century, hand-painting and signing the lid of the box before gifting the dolls to her two young godsons, the brothers Hans and Peter Bodmer. In later years, Peter Bodmer eventually shared the dolls with his wife, the noted doll collector Marianne Bodmer from whose estate the dolls were sold in 1989, and were acquired by the noted American collector, Dorothy Dixon. Value Points: the remarkable set of dolls is wonderfully preserved, their imaginative and artistic presentation enhanced by the connection with artist Erica Van Kagen, and well-documented provenance.