Featured Hand-sewn cloth doll

(Not sure if I should have put this in Antiques? Maybe we should have a "Toys & Dolls" forum?)

I'm curious about your thoughts on this doll. She's totally hand-sewn, both her body and clothes.

She was among my mother's things but not the type of item she bought, so the doll may have been my mother's when she was young.

The doll reminds me of Lucy Maud Montgomery's book character, Anne of Green Gables, first published in 1908. In my research I saw that Montgomery published sequels through 1939.

My mother was born in 1915, so the timing makes me think this doll may have been based on Anne. My grandmother wasn't a sewer, but my mother's aunt, who my mother was close to, did at least some seamstress work, so it's possible she made the doll.

Do the late 1910s-20s seem right for this doll? Also, I've seen somewhat similar cloth dolls on eBay called "primitive." Do you think that fits this doll? Also, any thoughts on why there are red thread clusters at the bottom of her legs?

Oh, and there are "war paint" type markings on her face... methinks someone decided to make her an Indian princess!

 

I would say she is a bit later......late 30's to 40's.

Not a lot of skill in the making. But an honest attempt to make a doll for a little girl.

The red bunches just may be to represent a ribbon.......only the originator knows.

I'm sure other opinions shall follow.

 

If it is later, I haven't a clue where it came from. I have the dolls and some of the toys my older sister and I had as children and this wasn't one of them. I guess the best I'll be able to do is call her "vintage" and say she reminds me of Anne of Green Gables.

 

I COMPLETELY agree with Judy .. she is nice in her own way but not of much value .. her pretty dress would probably bring in a few bucks. Her value lies in the fact that someone made this doll , and someone loved her ... Joy.

 

With items like this... ones that obviously had a very personal meaning... it would be so lovely if it came with a letter explaining it's history!

So it sounds like she's not in the "primitive" catagory? What would be the dividing line between primitive and not? Also, I'm curious if it's the style or materials that makes her seem more recent?

I have no experience here and not doubting you, Judy and Joy... just curious to learn more about these things!

 

I don't think that she's either Primitive OR Antique Pat .. just my opinion .. Joy.

 

Also her condition is far too good to be that old .. very little wear to be a play doll, We don't have "hands on" to inspect her, you may need to take her to doll specialist .. Joy.

 

That being said, What a wonderful keepsake you have .. a little treasure for sure .. some little child will love her, that's why she was made with loving hands in the first place, I never had a doll as a child and this little treasure would have lit up my day .. she is a sweetheart ... Joy.

 

I don't see your doll being called "primitive", although I cannot explain why not.

 

Thanks, Joy and Judy.

I did more searches and it looked like there are more of these "rag" dolls from the 30s than maybe any other era. Which makes sense to me that they would have been created during the depression.

Still a puzzle, though, why she was in with my mother's things!

 

You're welcome.

I agree with Joy that the dress is probably worth more than the doll.

It almost doesn't go with the doll (to me anyway). Gingham or some small country print would seem more appropriate for her, but it's possible the dress was already available and it does fit her well.

 

The dress is pretty, isn't it? I like the fabric and I love her pigtails, but her face could have been done a lot better.

Unfortunately the dress has some yellowish staining in the left shoulder area. Might it come out if I washed the dress with a little dish-washing liquid in warm water? Or could that cause damage?

 

Difficult to answer the question Pat, the dress appears to be older than the doll and that old delicate cotton can be extremely fragile and could break apart easily. I personally would leave it alone .. she looks fine in it, but as Judy said .. she would look better in country print dress, and the lovely white dress wrapped in a piece of white cotton sheeting or white pillowcase, to keep or to sell separately ... Joy.

 

That's interesting, Joy. It never occurred to me that the doll and clothes weren't made at the same time and for each other.

What do you think about the slip and pantaloons?

 

Also old fabric and heavier lace .. appear hand sewn and measured to go with the dress .. very nicely done, Joy.

 

@Pat P The secret to her actual age may lie in what she is stuffed with ..... Cotton? Old Fabric? Paper? Cardboard ? Horse hair ? Not suggesting you cut her in any way shape or form, just might give you a clue. The "War Paint" sure makes her look like a child played with her . My 84 year old Mom has a lot of her dolls from when she was a child , and some are in incredible shape , BUT , with that said , she also used to work at the YWCA resale shop in the 70's, so a lot came home with her ...... Your doll sure has a late teens / early 20's look to me , just because she looks newer doesn't mean she is .... possibly she was so special she did not get played with much.... There are a lot of 1920's toys that look so good your would swear they were from 1965 like my Tonka Toy Fire engines ... I was one of those kids that waxed my toys....especially the fire engines ... little did I know I would spend 20 plus years waxing the real deal......lol.

I have a sit on train ( I am staring up at it now ) in my loft , I traded an old air compressor for it with the baggage car . It belonged to a doctor from North Carolina who was a kid during the 20's , from a very well to do family . His son was a surfer here who just had no appreciation for his old dad's toy train and I was more than happy to take it off his hands..... on a scale of 1-10, it's an 8 ...played with , but kept indoors and well taken care of .......

There used to be a tiny folk art looking doll in a case in the Santa Cruz Library... never paid much attention to it till one day I looked at the description card... it came over the Sierra Nevada Mountains with a little girl who was a member of the Donner Party and lived to tell about it , settling in Santa Cruz. Far more valuable to me in my mind than the finest German Porcelain doll ........

 

Thanks for sharing your experience. I had a busy day and haven't had a chance to fully digest what you've said and am too tired now. Will try to get back to this soon!