Catalog: Dolls (266)

This lovely late 19th C. black cloth doll is made with fine polished cotton material, all hand sewn and hand painted. The white band at her neck is part of her clothing and is not a neck stabilizer. The doll and the clothes appear to be hand sewn by the same seamstress/mother/Grammy. The astrakhan hair is the best I have every seen and makes her hairdo look very fashionable. There is a little give to the cotton stuffed hourglass shaped body...

This antique handsewn doll has the early sloped shoulders, with carefully pieced construction, finely embroidered face with pinched raised nose, detailed lips, eyes and eyebrows. Her body is the hourglass shape, her legs are continuous and even though she is not jointed, she sits easily. She has great astrakhan hair. She is cotton stuffed rather firmly, has sewn on socks and rounded off hands. She is wearing a skirt and blouse, petticoat and bloomers all antique but not original, just nice...

This big doll no nonsense painted face doll with kind eyes was made with a body and face that match. They are both strong looking, will withstand a lot and be a good companion for a little girl. She is the kindly auntie that can't be there all the time. She is stuffed firmly with rags with cotton stuffed arms and legs. The paint is more a water color than an oil paint. It is flat color and sinks into the fabric. Her lips are the only exception, they are painted with a bittersweet oil paint...

Boy dolls are just hard to find, fewer were made but when found they are more likely to have good clothes. Boys liked policeman, soldiers, construction workers and sailors. This great sailor is 21" tall, has a nicely embroidered face, is all hand sewn, has the four seam head and has really nice hands with fingers and thumbs. He is very firmly stuffed with cotton. His clothes fit him perfectly...

Not all black dolls have black bodies. Some of the best dolls I have had were dolls that the maker took an old rag doll and gave the doll a black head. In the Jim Crow era, it became common in the north for mothers to teach their children about the plight of African Americans, by making a black doll for them. So mothers even ones that were not really skilled at sewing were making black dolls. Putting a black covering over a rag doll was one of the easiest ways...

This doll is from a collection in Maine. She is stockinette that was originally early polished cotton and was recovered 50 t0 75 years ago. So she is all original just recovered. This is not that uncommon if the doll was valued it was repaired. Old black fabric dye had iron oxide that was corrosive and weaken fabric. It is why this face has some holes. Her face has beautiful embroidery, the nose has to be the fanciest I have ever seen...

This pencil face antique cloth doll has on a blue calico dress that is hand sewn and is made over to fit her at sometime. It is sewn on her but isn't hiding anything. Her body is all original and is mostly rag stuffed and some cotton stuffing in her arms and legs. Her head doesn't flop, she sits easily and her arms are wide open for a hug. She is 20" tall but is one of those dolls that doesn't seem like a large doll...

This is an early heavy rag stuffed cloth doll with ink drawn features and sew through the cloth yarn hair. The yarn is the early homespun single twist and is very nice. She is all hand sewn, jointed shoulders, elbows, hips and knees. She has several layers of socks, the top layer is a wonderful blue linen pair. She came with her under clothes and I added her skirt. She is 20 " tall and is C. 1880

Painted cloth face that has the look of leather. She has a pinched nose and pinched mouth and embroidered with red floss. She has boton eyes and great twisted brown string hair. She is an early doll and night have two other faces under this one. Her body is very firmly stuffed with cotton. She is all hand sewn, sits nicely, and sewn on two layers of socks and great early hand sewn leather boots. The dress is age appropriate but not original. She came from Maine and is circa 1880 and is 20" tall

A fine embroidered face, bead eye, pelt hair black doll from the coast of Maine. Her face and body are made from a very nice black linen cloth that has lightened a little with age...

A black stockinette doll with a great face and gray astrakhan hair. She is a single layer stockinette (stocking) doll when most often they are doubled layer as the maker realizes the white cotton showing through the one layer is not really black anymore but gray. This was cleverly handled by making her hair gray also. She is big and has a chunky body firmly stuffed. Her arms and legs are jointed so she sits easily. She has mitten hands with one that goes at a rakish tilt but her sweet face says ...

This doll is has a very nice painted face with contrast that is white, but I think the color might have been pink and faded. She has it on her cheeks, forehead, nose and chin. She has a pretty red mouth and dark blue eyes. She has real hair sewn to her head. She has on a full length camisole and a dress with bonnet to match. Her body is very heavy and stuffed or packed with sand. I have only had dolls with sand a few times. She has leather hands and long narrow feet. She probably has another fac...

This most unusual black doll is built around a strong wireframe that is bendable to any position you want. She has a fine embroidered face, pinched nose and astrakhan hair. She is wearing age-appropriate clothes are really wonderful. She is in very good condition, is all hand sewn. These one of a kind black dolls are tokens of love, made for a child to play with. She is 15" tall and is circa 1890

This big lollipop head black cloth doll with her sweet hand made dress and two buttons for eyes still manages to have a persona. She has a stuffed cotton body, jointed arms and legs, stitch defined fingers and large feet pointing left. (When I see that my mind thinks, she is signaling for a left turn.) Her red dress has little red trim around the bottom and around her neck. She is 19" tall but doesn't feel like a big doll. She is a funny little character, as found. Circa 1890-1900

This is a doll with a water colorpainted face on very fine linen. This is her second face and if you look at her arms that are really worn she has had a full and busy life. I wouldn't want to take this face off, it is so nice with its little worried expression. (The second face is very old not just done.) Her body is all original, she came with a blouse and petticoat and I added the brown wool skirt. She is jointed at the shoulders, hips and knees. She is firmly stuffed with cotton. 19" and C. 1...

Well I am not sure Mother Congress would recognize this doll unless she took off her dress. This doll has to have had many hundreds of hours of play. The dress is obviously not original but I am sure it is nicer than a lot of dresses she has worn. She is 18" tall, cotton stuffed, many stitches replaces but surprisingly no holes just a worn area at the tip of her right hand. She sure isn't a Sunday doll but she could use a few understanding friends! Circa 1900. To see a nice "Baby Stuart" Google...

This antique cloth doll has look that she came from Pennsylvania. She has the one continuous swooping line for her nose. She has on a flannel dress that is also hand sewn. She is rag stuffed and quite heavy. She is plump with big arms and legs and feels and looks like she is all original. Her head moves back and forth a little but is not floppy. Just out of some play box over 199 years ago. 18" tall and circa 1880-90

This early topsy turvy doll very nice appeal to those that like dolls with love patina. Both faces have raised noses and some wear with more on the white side than the black side. The black doll has a window pane red fabric that is a tomato red with yellow lines and the white side has a wonderful blue fabric with white stars. She has had lots of hours of play and the aging from it is just the best. She displays well a single doll with white of black side. There is a tear in the top of the red f...