Little Ladies of the New Year

   I'm a little late, but there is still one day left in January. So, I will say Happy New Year and wish everyone health and happiness in 2011. At any rate, it's never too late for well wishes!

  

   I have nothing new to report from the realms of art doll creation. I can only say that I am working right along, getting things organized for the upcoming months. I'm setting up my show schedule, working on special orders and trying to accumulate stock. When I can spare a moment, I have been sorting through my collections and listing antique and vintage dolls, etc. on etsy and ebay.

   While I am on the subject of antique dolls, I do have a little collecting experience to share. Presents are always fun, aren't they? Even presents that you purchase for yourself, right? Every year, within a couple months of Christmas (when I can afford it), I purchase a little something for myself. I don't mean to suggest that I don't receive lovely gifts from other people, but my "self-gifting" is a fun little tradition that I enjoy. I put my  presents away and open them in private, usually after the new year. As I have a mind like a sieve, it's still a surprise... even though I purchased the items.

    This year's "self gifts" are treasured finds. All were priced low, which is always appreciated. These dolls are not high-end by any stretch of the imagination, but each one is all-original and has simple, innocent charm.

I'm calling them the Little Ladies of the New Year. Please scroll down, see their photos, read the descriptions, and enjoy the artifacts of a long ago  nursery....

Little Ladies of the New Year

9.5" tall... Bisque head marked  "390  Made in Germany  A9/0M" (Armand Marseille), open/close glass eyes, mohair wig. She has a composition body. She wears a pink silk dress and bonnet trimmed in lace (even some flowers on bonnet), buckram drawers and slip with lace, stockings, and one shoe. I imagine she lost the other shoe while making a hasty retreat from a kitten, sometime in the last century. circa 1900

7.5"... Bisque head marked "GK  crossed bones symbol  N  Made in Germany   193  20/0  DEP" (Gebruder Knoch), fixed set eyes and blonde mohair wig.  She also has a composition body. She wears her all original linen sailor dress and hat, trimmed in rickrack, buckram drawers, and has painted socks and shoes... the shoes are in a blue to match the dress! circa 1900

 

A dear little miniature doll, only 4.25" tall. Parian-type bisque shoulder plate head, bisque arms and legs. Her torso and upper arms and legs are cloth. Her outfit is all original and meant to depict some form of regional dress. The red skirt is fantastic, as is the fancy bodice!  circa 1900

If you are curious about the painting in the background, it is an oil entitled  "On the Lynn, North Devon, Eng."

It is dated July 23, 1886... folky-looking, in my opinion and just one of those odd little things I found at an estate sale.