Who is she?

I recently bought this doll and a load of dolls clothes at an auction and I'm a bit mystified about its age and origin. I get the feeling it might be victorian, the clothes seem to have been made for the doll as they're all the same size as what she's wearing. Yes she's a bit battered and missing a limb but any info would be most welcome.

I have to admit that I've never really bought dolls before and unfortunately I don't think I'll be keeping this one for long as my daughter gets a bit creeped out by her one-eyed stare, reminds her of Syd's room in Toy Story!

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Replies to This Discussion

Permalink Reply by valerie cifaldi on June 18, 2012 at 3:15pm

how tall is the doll? and what materials is it made from?

dress look really well made, often i just sell the clothes and hats from box lots with dolls.

Permalink Reply by Rich Brown on June 18, 2012 at 3:25pm

Thanks for the reply Valerie,

Its 18 inches top to toe and looks like its some sort of waxy type material, its gone very dry and the surface has cracked and flaked off.

As for the clothes, there seem to be loads, hats shoes, pinafores, dresses, I haven't a clue what they'd be worth. Should I wash them or just leave them as I found them?

Rich

valerie cifaldi said:

how tall is the doll? and what materials is it made from?

dress look really well made, often i just sell the clothes and hats from box lots with dolls.

Permalink Reply by Graceful Antiques on June 18, 2012 at 3:25pm

She looks like she has a mexican wedding dress on.

What does the neck have on it and/or what does the body look like? If she is old and I cannot tell from the photos she can be parted out if her head is broken as it looks like it.

Clothing with tags go for more than without unless old and nice? All depends.

This forum is making me go doll nuts again I am telling you.

I am itching to clean her up. I would say she is a repro just from the photo here.

Permalink Reply by Graceful Antiques on June 18, 2012 at 3:27pm

uh oh. not repro. Wax doll. Do not touch her till someone else that deals with this doll comes along.

Permalink Reply by Rich Brown on June 18, 2012 at 3:30pm

Eeek, 'don't touch her'? Is that a safety warning or a value warning... :-)

Graceful Shops said:

uh oh. not repro. Wax doll. Do not touch her till someone else that deals with this doll comes along.

Permalink Reply by Graceful Antiques on June 18, 2012 at 3:33pm

value possibly. I flat cannot see her good enough.

go to Ruby Lane and put in wax doll and see till someone that knows these older dolls comes along. Sorry.

She could be fixed and the eye is no biggie.

Permalink Reply by Rich Brown on June 18, 2012 at 3:41pm

I've just taken another picture of her head, apart from the missing arm that's where the most damage is. Thanks for the information so far, I had a feeling she was interesting but assumed she was too damaged, show's what I know...I usually specialise in antique writing boxes and machines!

Graceful Shops said:

value possibly. I flat cannot see her good enough.

go to Ruby Lane and put in wax doll and see till someone that knows these older dolls comes along. Sorry.

She could be fixed and the eye is no biggie.

Permalink Reply by Graceful Antiques on June 18, 2012 at 5:01pm

Possibly wax over paper mache. If you look into her eye that is missing is this what it looks like? Paper mache?

Someone I think will come along. I fall in love with any doll but doll restorers can work wonders. Especially with a bunch of clothing if original could be a valuable item.

Do not put one drop of water or liquid on her till then. She already has my heart. One eye and all.

Permalink Reply by debdoll on June 18, 2012 at 5:18pm

Hi Rich, your doll is a wax over papier mache, late 1800's I believe. There are people that restore these so she is still worth something to someone. Personally, as much as I hate to separate dolls from their original wardrobes, I would probably sell the clothes separately if I was looking to make the most money. The clothes from this era do very well and do not sell cheap.

Permalink Reply by Graceful Antiques on June 18, 2012 at 5:51pm

Yeah, I was correct.

Does the dress look period? I would love to see the other ones.

Permalink Reply by Cybermogul Dolls on June 18, 2012 at 6:28pm

Yes, she is antique and wax. Or reinforced wax. I think I see a slit in her head to insert her hair. Also the way the legs are attached - can you post more pictures of that? She can be gently restored. Likely her missing eye is inside the head. Would love to see more of the clothing too. Handle gently and watch temperature extremes.

I strongly suggest not washing the doll or the clothing - antique doll clothing is expensive and can turn to rags instantly with improper handling. You'll do better selling them 'as is".

Permalink Reply by Rich Brown on June 19, 2012 at 3:50am

Here are some more pictures of the way the legs are attached, or at least the lower legs anyway, the arm(s) and head/shoulders are attached the same way. Also a huge load of pics of the clothes that came with it. The head does have a slot in it for the hair but sadly it seems to be falling out.