The small porcelain dolls typically had painted shoes and socks or tights. The faces were hand painted complete with eyelashes. Some dolls were made with an open mouth, these are quite rare and desirable. The hair was sometimes painted. Other dolls were given mohair wigs styled in curls, soft waves, or braids. Some dolls were provided a wig crafted of human hair. Replacement synthetic hair is always a definite no. If you love the doll, buy it and invest in a good human hair or mohair wig.
The doll heads shown here would have been made with the body and head in a single mold. The heads with bonnets on them were mores desirable and to this day go for higher prices even when they have no body. The same doll was often made in different sizes, giving the same doll a very different look. There is also a Kewpie doll head pictured above. It is the doll with the lock of painted brown hair. Kewpie dolls continue to realize fine prices.
Porcelain dolls with attached hats are known as bonnet heads. This is a wonderful type of doll to collect. This particular doll has jointed arms, which means her arms were made from a separate mold and then attached to her body through a special wiring process. Her hips are also jointed. Some bonnet heads were made from one piece molds, meaning there are no movable body parts.
This doll is called a china head doll. China heads get their names from the type of hairstyle they have. Hair color can be blond or black. Eye color is either blue, brown, or black. The rarest eye color is brown. Some Chinas have a thin red line above the eyelid, this is a desired feature in a china head doll. China head dolls can have many different types of bodies. They usually have china arms from the elbow including the hands. Their legs from the knee to the foot are china and painted with varying types of boots and shoes. China head dolls can also have cloth bodies, leather bodies, leather hands. They also may have movable arms and legs. Many China head dolls are affordable for the novice collector.
This doll is called Highland Mary. She has a distinctive hairstyle of curls surrounding her face that continue around the back of her head. She was made in many different sizes and had painted blonde or black hair. Her face is also painted so she can have many different looks even though the hairstyle defines her as a Highland Mary. This doll is a really nice example and who can resist her ornate dress and festival flowers.
Till next time stay well, stay happy
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