Antique American Primitive Folk Art Oil Painted Cloth Rag Doll Layers Of Clothes
Item History & Price
Presented here for your bidding evaluation is this truly wonderful, early antique cloth doll with oil painted features and multiple layers of antique, possibly original clothing! As though frozen in time, at first glance she appears to be entirely original, though one will have some age related wear to contend with. However, this pretty and venerable doll has some unusual attributes and loads of charm along with her many layers of well made old clothing. She was obtained from the estat...e sale of a collector of only early antique dolls, toys, christmas items, and many wonderful, whimsical pieces of Victoriana. The doll may date to as early as the 1880’s to the early 1900’s when many oil painted dolls were being made. Made of all muslin cloth, the doll measures 15” long and is stuffed with sawdust. This acidic stuffing material can weaken the fabric, and has done so here. Where the young lady’s heavy head rests on her slender neck, it has become weakened, and you can see the sawdust spilling forth from the cracks/tears around her neck where the fabric has given way. The back of the left hand has a small sort of tear or puncture in it, as photographed. This, along with stains, small tears and yellowing on her fragile clothing are the observable detriments to this old doll. I had this doll previously listed and a very astute eBayer pointed out that the paint looked too fresh for a 19th century doll. With that in mind, I felt compelled to re-examine the doll, removing her delicate antique clothing entirely for a better look. I determined that I may have been a bit overzealous in my belief that this is an 1880 era doll. I just thought I was lucky to find such an early cloth doll in such excellent condition! I ended and revised the listing, adding additional pictures that show her antique body in its entirety in an effort to shed some light on the age and condition of the doll. When looking at the photos, please use the zoom feature to carefully examine the painting, construction, and materials used as aids in determining age. The doll is definitely antique, perhaps closer to a 1930’s era production, and the possibility exists that the limbs and face have been repainted. I don’t have the expertise in antique cloth dolls to say for sure one way or another. More on the doll: She has a lovely oil painted face, with warm brown eyes and features that were rendered by a skilled hand. She has an unusual treatment for her hair—strands of thick cording or yarn were used to create texture for her center parted hairdo. It looks as though the strands were glued down and painted over to fashion her black coiffure—with not a hair out for place over all these years!The flesh colored oil paint used on her head extends down to her upper chest and shoulders, as well as covering her arms, which are gathered at the top and stitched on at the shoulders. Only the suggestion of a thumb defines the long hands. The wide set legs, stitch jointed at the hip, are likewise flesh toned, ending in painted, pointy black boots with red bands at the top. The legs, in particular, look the freshest. Her torso is of unpainted muslin, Which has yellowed a great deal. The torso is covered in a yellowed one piece sleeveless undergarment. In addition to this most intimate garment, she wears a puffed sleeved white chemise of cotton under her blue linen frock. The chemise undergarment is fully gathered at the neckline and short sleeves, with sweet crocheted trim on the cuffs. It has some tears in the skirt area. The pretty blue dress is the garment that has held up the best, though somewhat faded and with some dark brown spots on the back. It, too, has many gathers on its high waist, along with pretty and intricate drawn work on the bodice and hem. The dress is longer than the dolls legs are, giving her the appearance of being taller than she is. Neither the chemise nor the dress have any fasteners. Her final garment is an apron that fully encircles her waistline and fastens in the back with a single, large “GRIPPER” marked snap. The apron once had vertical stripes, now mostly long faded away. This garment has multiple stains, small tears, and is both fragile and yellowed. Though there is some mystery surrounding her origins, she’s a wonderful doll with a beautiful face, and deserving of a little TLC and a place of honor in a well curated cloth doll collection! Please see my other listings for more antique and vintage dolls, keeping in mind that I would be happy to combine shipping whenever practical! If more than one item is won, please be sure to ask for, and wait for a revised invoice combining shipping before paying! International Buyers – Please Note:
Import duties, taxes, and charges are not included in the item price or shipping cost. These charges are the buyer's responsibility. Please check with your country's customs office to determine what these additional costs will be prior to bidding or buying.On Jan-10-21 at 10:07:16 PST, seller added the following information:
Dear potential bidders, I will be ending this listing early, only to relist it with updated pictures and some revised information. My apologies for any confusion or disappointment!
Dear potential bidders, I will be ending this listing early, only to relist it with updated pictures and some revised information. My apologies for any confusion or disappointment!
