Catalog: Dolls: Antique Dolls: Cloth (231)

This big folk art oil cloth doll has a lot going for her. She has heavy brush stroke painted face done by some no nonsense mother. She gave her a suggestion of curls around her face, no fussy curls here! She colored her lips a dark purple but definitely not bright red. Seeing that she is all oil cloth her body is very firm as well as her legs and arms. She has wear and some cracking to the paint but not through the oil cloth, which often happens...

What was the mother thinking when she sewed the face of this big wonderful rag stuffed doll. I think she had the cloth in her lap and stitched away on the face with it sideways on her lap. It does look a little straighter when she is sideways. Well you can't have her displayed on her side so her face is what it is, sweet and a little outrageous. The stitching is lovely and the colors are soft, her smile is engaging. She has never had hair. Her body is curvy with smaller waist and quite wide hips...

This interesting cloth doll has a pencil face fashioned after a "Babyland" rag doll. The little girl receiving this doll must have been thrilled to have a doll looking like and expensive bought one. This face is a second face that has been there a long time. She has a sewn on bonnet that fringes her face. Her arms have been recovered at the same time her face was done, same material. She is cotton stuffed and sits nicely. Clothes old but not original. She is 19"tall and circa 1890-1900.

This beautiful painted face doll with big almond shaped eyes, large protruding nose and tiny pursed lips with just a touch of pink, is a great example of a folk art naive cloth doll. Black painted hair is scalloped around her face and touches her cute applied ears. The paint is all original. She has some crazing and loss of paint on her head but it isn't flaking and not very visible from the front. Her forearms and hands are painted the same as her face. One wrist has old cloth tape around it...

I don't see many pairs of dolls and boys dolls I don't think I have had another pair. The older Daryl looks like he is in control and rather sweet, younger Daryl has apparently gotten the short end of the stick. He is sad. They make a very nice pair and are all original with a few missing pieces. I think they both had belts. They have bold embroidered faces and have gray yarn hair...

This darling stump doll dressed in a brown calico dress and a velvet mop hat is very put together, everything fits just right. Her stump is tied in the middle for a waist but she never had attached legs. Her body bends at the middle so she can sit and be held easily by a little hand. She is 14" to the bottom of her dress and is 11" to the bottom of her firmly stuffed stump. Circa 1900

She can get better, she has a provenance that came with her, as follows.....

At first glance she looks like one to me but a southern belle all dressed up in the 1880's would not ever consider putting forth anything resembling a scowl. To give her the benefit of the doubt it is more of a pensive look. Her bright blue eyes would sparkle with a smile but she is what she is. Her face is watercolor and ink and nicely done. She is 22" tall her body is all original with continuous legs so she has a forced sit, see photos...

This little doll look perky and ready to go have fun. She is hand sewn, her head is just a little floppy. Her lips look like she has stuffing coming out but actually her lips are sewn with a running stitch so the under has pushed the fabric up. So there is no damage on her face. She is a classic little homemade doll with no fancy frills. She is 17" tall but looks and feels like a smaller one. C. 1890

As found all hand sewn, sepia drawn face, forever clothes, (been on her forever) that are hand made and now in tones of brown. (Skirt has faded from blue to brown in the front.) I call these dolls, relics! They shouldn't be redressed in my opinion but enjoyed for what they are. Under her apron, blouse and skirt are underclothes that look like they were all made by the same hand. Her cotton stuffed body has jointed arms and continuous legs that with a little persuasion allow her to sit...

A most unusual black doll that has her name and owners initials written in brown ink on her bloomers. R.W. is on her right leg and DINA is on her left leg. Her face is nicely embroidered with lover's knots for pupils. She has brown floss hair that is just across her forehead, something I don't recall seeing before on any other doll. She is jointed at the shoulders and hips so she sits easily. I do feel her clothes are original...

This 1880 cloth doll has a very nicely drawn ink face with strong features softened by time. Her lips have a trace of red with a hint of a smile, her eyes are big and brown and her nose and eyebrows are a gray black this all adds up to a very kindly looking face. The black hat covers a trauma to her head and to her right ear. The rest of her face is not fragile so I think it was a blow to the head and ear not a breakdown of fabric. Her body has lots of covering and it is hard to figure out what ...

Believe me I wouldn't consider bothering her. Take a look at those eyebrows, mercy, this is a doll you might exhibit by herself. That said, a few friends might help soften her around the edges. She is 26" tall with stockinette head and body, all original. She is as found with all her jewelry, white blouse, red plaid wool skirt with a lot of holes and a slip and petticoat. On her feet she has the best black and red socks, so great with her skirt. Her arms and legs are jointed and she is stuffed w...

This antique straw stuffed doll had an embroidered nose, just traces left, ink painted eyes and eyebrows and stitched and painted mouth, both a mere shadow of itself. Her body is all original and as I tried taking off her clothes they had been on and not disrupted for a long time I decided not to pull them all off. I took pictures so I think you can see she is really okay and nice. She is stuffed with straw so she is crunchy sounding and not stuffed really firmly. She is nicely constructed and h...

I think she is one tough cookie. Very stern with a small little straight line for a mouth, long straight pinched nose and big button eyes outlined in red floss. She has astrakhan hair, a nice early shaped body, jointed at the shoulders and hips and packed firmly with cotton. The dress is sewn on and fits really well. It is silk and a little fragile around the top of the sleeves where it is gathered and puffy. A white petticoat is under the dress and black socks cover her nicely shaped feet. She ...

This doll has a regal look and feel about her. Her body is black sateen and is very nicely constructed. The embroidered face is very nicely done with the whites of her eye very prominent with a nice black border around the white. Her nose is embroidered with black also but it is a blue black so it is visible. She has astrakhan hair that is nicely sewn on. She is stuffed fairly firmly with cotton and maybe rags. She is 23" tall and is dressed as I bought her. The dress is age appropriate and her ...

This is a great black doll 22” tall, firmly stuffed with cotton, jointed arms and legs but the arms do not bend a lot. She has an embroidered face with tiny stitches and great round eyes. She has brown material for hair that has lost the pile so it is just material. Her hands both are mostly missing stuffing but a good portion of the material is still there. She has big long feet. Her dress is wonderful and has been on her for a very long time as are the underclothing. I can’t say they are ...

This is a nice antique cloth doll with a sweet embroidered face. She has blue eyes with eyelashes all the way around and pink floss mouth. It is a surprise that her face does not show any anger or humiliation from the extreme hairdo. I can just see the little girl with her mother's pointy scissors clipping all her hair with great satisfaction. She was a blond and there is a small fringe that frames her face and then rows of stitches on the back of her head that at one time was securing yarn hair...