Carved Wood Character Folk Art Doll Antique

If you, as a collector, prefer your dolls to be old, wonderful and one-of-a-kind, I have a Girl for you! She is a statuesque 23 (58 cm) tall, with carved head, arms and legs and a sawdust-stuffed cloth body. Her most striking feature is her wonderful hand carved character face that is painted in oil paint, obviously done by an artist well-experienced in capturing the human face. She does have a folk art quality that is reinforced by the simple carving of her hands and feet which are smaller in scale for her size - a charming quality shared by many folk portraits.

Her body is made of a pink cotton that is stuffed with sawdust. Her body is constructed to allow her shoulders and hips to move, making it possible for her to sit easily. She would have originally worn a wig, but this is now missing. She also has no shoes.

Naturally, a doll of this type will have condition issues. Her head does have a large crack that runs down the side of her head - not affecting her face.

Such cracks are to be expected as wood dries and shrinks over the decades. Her body has seen some repairs, and has some glue residue around her shoulder area. The front of one foot has broken off, and her fingertips show breakage, wear and some post beetle damage. This damage appears to have happened early on in the doll's life, as there is wear to the broken areas.

There are holes from past post beetle infestation on her arms and legs (not her head) as those members are made of a different type of wood, I believe. The beetles are no longer present and damage has stopped. I have blacklighted the paint on her face and there is no overpainting or inpainting. I estimate her to be circa 1900- 1920.

Her clothing is crudely made, she needs a wig and maybe a hat and shoes, but these would make ideal projects for a collector to pursue. This doll would command your cabinet of folk art dolls! The item "Carved Wood Character Folk Art Doll Antique" is in sale since Friday, April 30, 2021.

This item is in the category "Dolls & Bears\Dolls\Antique (Pre-1930)\Wood". The seller is "mllebereux" and is located in Park Rapids, Minnesota. This item can be shipped worldwide.

Material: Wood
Original/Reproduction: Original
Features: Antique
Doll Gender: Girl Doll