High Brow Center Part 1860's China Doll, 24"

Here is a wonderful old high brow china doll with original body and leather arms.  She has the old orange lips, red eye liner, white center part with side curls - and a wonderfully pleasant expression.  She probably needs some help with her wardrobe.

Free Lecture and Reception - Japanese Friendship Doll

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You are invited to a free Lecture and Reception concerning Birmingham's own Japanese Friendship Doll.

Happy Birthday, Julie!

Happy Birthday, Julie!  Here is a Simon Halbig 1329 bisque head doll for you.

Happy Birthday, Jill!

Here is a very old cloth doll for you.  Don't you think it is "Mama-made"?  Have a Happy Birthday!

Small Dolls on my Dresser

These are dolls and stuffed animals that I enjoy looking at every day on my dresser:  From L to R:  Reproduction Kestner by Pat Boldt (bought at Convention in New Orleans), unmarked German bisque head doll, and stone bisque with lovely bare feet and plait in back with colored flowers (also unmarked, but probably German).  I found the tiny crocheted dresses and bonnet also at Convention; I believe the sellers were from New Zealand.  And the tiny handmade stuffed bears and cat were also in the sales room at the UFDC Convention.

An Evening With Miss Iwate - Save the Date

This beautiful Friendship Doll sent in 1927 from Japan to the children of the U.S., along with 56 others, has been kept in the Birmingham Public Library in a storage room.  Please join us for a reception and talk by Alan Pate, Asian doll specialist, on Feb. 21 at 6:00 p.m. at the main Birmingham Public Library.  We plan to help raise funds for a proper display case so she can be admired and appreciated.  See similar post below on this blog for more information.

Compositions, Stuffed Animals, Cloth and Wooden Dolls

Double left click to enlarge photos for your enjoyment.

A wonderful Raggedy display.

 Lots of beautiful, cuddly stuffed animals.

 A great case full of composition dolls.

 Here are Effanbee Patsy dolls of various sizes.

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 On this bench are 4 Schoenhut wooden dolls on the left,  and on the right are 2 cloth Chase dolls.

 Here are Grumpy, Coquette, Baby Daity type, and Lambikin.

 Georgene Raggedy Ann's sit atop books.

Nippon Dolls - Jill's January Program

Nippon is synonymous with the word Japan. From 1891-1921 all exports from Japan had to have Nippon on them. Thus, dolls and toys from the Nippon era are easy to date. Nippon era all bisque dolls are still afforable and fairly collectable. Nippon era all bisque dolls are generally 3-7" tall, are jointed at the arms and hips, and came in hundreds of different styles. Baby Bud, Kewpie, and the Happifats were copied from the German dolls, especially during WWI when imports from Germany were frowned upon. Some Nippon dolls are beautifully painted while others are very average. The Nippon era dolls are an interesting part of history.

 The 1st 3 photos are all sweet Nippons.  In the 3rd photo, the second from the left won a 1st Place at the recent UFDC Convention in New Orleans.  She wears her original crepe paper costume. The 4th photo is of a Morimura Bros. (Japanese company) copy of the German Hilda, along with some Made in Japan dolls.  The one on the right has her original crepe paper and tinsel dress.  The 5th photo shows 2 Morimura boy dolls and some small Made in Japan dolls (after 1921).  The last photo is of Nippons; the one on the left has a blue bow painted on either side of her head, and the one on the right has a blue ribbon around her head (or perhaps her head was smoothed to look like a cap). She wears the remains of a ribbon costume.

Remember to double left click on photos to enlarge.