I would be eternally grateful to Anyone that can help me identify this doll!
what I know about it: was given to my step-dads mother (born 1902) by her mother when she was a little girl, they lived in Norway.
porcelain head, hands and shoes, cloth torso, arms, and legs. hair is human, the hat and clothing are nailed on. clothing is silk. 24″ tall. there are no identifying marks that I can see.
Just trying to learn more about this doll for family history. She is one of the few things my dad has from his mom and would like to know more about the doll.
The doll is my Avatar!
Thank you
Kami
Your doll is called a boudoir doll or bed doll. These dolls were not made for children to play with, but to sit on the bed and look pretty – although of course many were played with. Your doll’s head is not porcelain, but a material called composition, which is a mixture of sawdust and glue and other ingredients, poured into a mold and baked, then painted. (If it were porcelain, you wouldn’t be able to nail a wig on without breaking it!) Composition was the most common material that dolls were made from in the first half of the 20th century.
Identifying the maker of a boudoir doll is tricky unless there are markings or unusual features – and impossible from such a tiny photo. But if you Google “boudoir doll” you can find out more about them.
Zendelle
www.vintagedollcollector.com