The History Of Antique Dolls
German antique dolls, especially those created from the mid 1800's through the early 1900's, are arguably the most beautifully well-crafted dolls ever made. Parian as the early dolls were called were made in Copenhagen and Dresden in famous old pottery factories. Not only were the faces of these dolls full of intricately molded features but their hair often came with ornate ribbons and bows molded in and occasionally they had a collar too. These antique dolls were made individually with exacting detail. Not only are these antique dolls collectors' items, they're also valuable and very rare.
The popularity of antique dolls reached its height around 1880. The hairstyles of the antique dolls are used date them fairly accurately. These antique dolls were the predecessors of the China Head Dolls which were produced in large quantities in factories and are noted for the glowing glaze finish. Ranging in size from the only 1" tall to as tall as 24" these particular antique dolls were popular in the late 1800s as a more affordable alternative to the Parisian Bisque Dolls which were more popular and also more expensive forcing some families to settle for the cheaper model. German antique doll manufacturers started to mass produce dolls of higher quality that rivaled the popular French antique dolls in the 1890s.
Later on the antique dolls started to take on the character of real children with emotions and expressions. Dolly face dolls generally had sleepy eyes that could open and shut and were placed securely into the head with plaster. Blown glass was used for the eyes. These antique dolls also featured open mouths showing the 4 upper teeth. And they also had wigs of either mohair or human hair. Sophisticated ball joint bodies were used to attach the heads.
Small manufacturers produced many of these antique dolls and the exact identities of many of the doll manufacturers remains unknown. Most of the well-known doll manufacturers such as Kammer and Reinhard, Heinrich Handwerck, and others made their marks clearly and easily distinguished on the dolls they created. These antique doll manufacturers also made it easy for appraisers by putting identification numbers on the rear of the doll's necks. It probably wasn't their intention, but appraisers used the markings to easily value, date, and appraise antique dolls. The "Bye-Lo" doll was possibly the most memorable of the antique dolls to come from this era. Grace Storey Putnam who is the artist that created the antique doll is known to have searched hospitals during the early 1900s looking for the perfect model for the doll. "My Dream Baby" was the next doll produced after the "Bye-Lo." Year after year, the value of German antique dolls continues to rise as collectors grow more and more appreciative of the quality of the antique dolls and the talent of the doll makers.
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