Object Record
Images
Metadata
Catalog Number |
BE979.6.906 1-2 |
Object Name |
Doll |
Description |
A bisque-headed doll with blonde hair and eyes that close. The torso is made of cotton, with kid leather legs and stitched joints. The feet are covered with replacement cotton socks. The doll's hands are also bisque. She is wearing a red corduroy dress with lace decoration at the shoulders and hem. The manufacturer's mark reads "Made in Germany." |
Year Range from |
1882 |
Year Range to |
1885 |
Dimensions |
H-10 W-28 L-45 cm |
History |
This doll may have belonged to Annie or Naomi Harris. It was possibly made by Kestner. Early Kestner bisque dolls were marked only with a number, while later examples included a mould mark and the phrase "Made in Germany." Kestner dolls were made by the J.D. Kestner doll company in Germany. The company operated for over 90 years in Waltershausen, Thuringia, producing dolls made of wood, papier-mâché, and china. Kestner is best known for its bisque—or porcelain—dolls from the late 19th and early 20th centuries. George Borgfeldt & Company of New York held distribution rights for several European doll manufacturers, including Kestner. Borgfeldt was an importer and assembler for the North American doll market. References: All About Kestner Dolls. Denise Van Patten. The Spruce Crafts. June 11th, 2018 https://www.thesprucecrafts.com/kestner-dolls-overview-774903#:~:text=The%20J.D.%20Kestner%20doll%20company,1800s%20into%20the%20early%201900s. George Borgfeldt & Co. toys. Fabtintoys, July 2025 https://ca.fabtintoys.com/borgfeldt/ Kestner Dolls, Fabtintoys, July 2025 https://ca.fabtintoys.com/kestner/ |
People |
Harris, Annie Harris, Naomi |