Featured Tiny Doll - 1900?

This is another of those things that I seem to have had "forever" but I'm curious about how old she might be. My grandmother's? (born 1902) or her mother's (born 1879) ?

Really tiny - 2.5 inches, head to toes. Hard to say what she's made of - does not feel like china and seems too light as well. But she doesn't have the smooth surface I normally associate with plastic. Look at the close-up of the face (hand-painted with a sweet expression) to get an idea of the surface.

She has articulated arms and legs, connected with little metal pins at the shoulders and hips, but I can't see where the head joins the body because of the ribbon around her neck. A very lightly impressed GERMANY runs down her spine. Dressed in gauze that seems to start at the cap and "becomes" the dress at the shoulders. (If that makes sense.)

She had been living in the box you see in some of the pictures, surrounded by old cotton batting. No marks on the box, which of course could have been for something else originally.

Can anyone opine about her age and what kind of material she's made of?

 

She's sweet!
Glad you have her.

 

Definitely quite similar, Book. How did you get those pictures without the listing?

 

What a pretty little doll.

 

Great work, Bookahtoo.

 

You learn something new every day here!

Well, my searching on ebay (to find that listing and even one like it) has produced lots of results - thousands in fact - way too many to wade through to find her. Any thoughts on how to be more targeted?

 

Thank you so much! $125?? Wow.

So they don't give an age (other than the Pre-1930 category), but calling her a "dollhouse baby" might get me something more.

 

Doesn't the doll in that listing seem a little big for the standard size dollhouse (1" = 1')? Although antique dollhouse items do well, I don't think I'd use "dollhouse" as a keyword.

 

That's also what I have been finding by using the term, Pat, although some listings are for this slightly larger size. I found if I made sure not to accept "dollhouse miniatures" as the category, there are more of this size to look at. Nothing definitive yet.

 

"Doesn't the doll in that listing seem a little big for the standard size dollhouse (1" = 1')?"

The 1/12 scale was "standardized" in the late 1960's/early 1970's when they became know as miniatures after the rooms by ...... someone I forget.......in the late 1940's (?). Before that there was no real standard - to whit the odd sizes of antique doll furniture.

 

Ah, the Thorne Rooms is (I think) what I am thinking of.........and I just recalled that there were a number of "doll's houses" created in the1920's that used the 1/12 scale, but they were not toys. Think Queen Mary's Dollhouse, Colleen Moore's fantasy castle, Titania's Palace, etc. And some society sisters in NYC built one, but it was mainly created to showcase miniature paintings by (then) famous artists.

 

Good to know, Mansons. Thanks for the info.

I've sold dollhouse items, but mostly new ones. I think the plastic 1950s dollhouse stuff is either 1/12 scale or close to it... possibly a little smaller. But with items earlier than that, I have almost no experience.

 

Ah, I sold a book by Colleen Moore a few years ago. Her miniature world was very interesting....

 

Colleen Moore bragged that her "miniatures" were mostly crafted from precious materials - and if you looked at some of them you could agree - things like a pair of chairs that were actually a pair of emerald earring with a seat and 4 legs attached..........they looks EXACTLY like a pair of emerald earring with a seat and 4 legs attached. Miss Moore (she and Lillian Roth were family friends) had a huge ego and only had her house made because Britain was building Queen Mary one. And of course Colleen's had to be more expensive .......... not better, more expensive.


The doll house pieces from the 1950's are a bit smaller than 1/12 scale - I have the info someplace, but am too tired from arguing politics, morals, and constitutionality all day...........when will I learn to shut the hell up???????

 

I chuckled at the image of the earring chair that looked like an earring chair.

Sounds like Miss Moore was quite the character!

And about controversial conversations, hey, if it helps you feel good... or feel true to yourself... go for it! Even if you don't win the other person over, you can take satisfaction in having tried.

 

That's really neat to have something like this that belonged to your grandmother or great grandmother. I think she is rather pretty too. Very nice.