Porcelain as a material for making dolls made its appearance in Europe for the first time in the latter part of 18th century in England.
Initially, dolls made out of porcelain were very basic in design; however, when manufacturers from Germany and Holland started making porcelain dolls, later followed by French makers, they created beautiful dolls that took the popularity of porcelain dolls to new heights. By mid-19th century, French makers were dominating the market in style and numbers.
Whether from French or German makers, antique porcelain dolls are some of the most prized collector’s items from that period, with some of them selling for as much as $3,000 in auctions.
Dolls from 19th century are especially prized for their quality, style and beauty by antique doll collectors.
Bisque dolls
Bisque is a type of porcelain that is known for its unglazed matte finish, which gave bisque dolls an unusually realistic appearance. Antique bisque dolls from the period 1860 to 1900 are some of the most popular collector’s dolls.
Indeed, since bisque dolls are the most popular type of porcelain dolls from that period, the terms bisque and porcelain are often used interchangeably when referring to dolls from that period.
Popular manufacturers of Porcelain Dolls
A number of manufacturers, mostly from the 19th century, are a favorite of porcelain doll collectors. These makers of dolls were the leading doll manufacturers of their age and helped set the fashion trend in their time.
Dolls by such manufacturers are known for their unique qualities that differ from one manufacturer to another.
The following are some of the most popular antique porcelain doll manufacturers:
• Jumeau
Founded in early 1840s, this French company initially manufactured dolls made out of papier mache before turning to porcelain, specifically bisque, dolls.
By 1860s, it was the world’s most renowned manufacturer of porcelain dolls. The best Jumeau dolls were usually manufactured during the period from late 1870s to late 1890s.
• Kestner
As one of the main German rivals of Jumeau, Kestner made bisque dolls that have retained their charm over the years. These dolls are almost as popular with doll collectors as the ones made by Jumeau.
• Bahr and Proschild
Founded in 1871 in Ohdruf, Germany, Bahr and Proschild made some of the more popular dolls today found in doll collections around the world. They made dolls out of porcelain, bisque and celluloid.
It also supplied doll parts to some other companies in its time, including to Bruno Schmidt and Klay & Hahn. In 1919 it merged with Bruno Schmidt.
Dolls made by Bahr and Proschild are known for their three-digit mold numbers, apart from the only two-digit mold number, number 10.
• William Goebel
From 1893 to 1930s, the father-son pair of Frank Goebel and William Goebel made porcelain and bisque dolls of various sizes, including half dolls, cabinet sized dolls and baby dolls.
Their markings initially consisted of a half moon and a triangle, but later they started marking their dolls with WG with a crown above the letters.
• Bru Jne & Cie
This French manufacturer made dolls from 1866 to 1899, after which it merged with S.F.B.J. During the three decades of its existence Bru Jne & Cie made some of the most beautiful antique dolls known, so it is no surprise that dolls from this maker are one of the most reproduced dolls.
How to identify Porcelain Dolls
Identifying the age and make of an antique doll exactly is not a job for amateurs. However, even casual hobbyists should know a thing or two about identifying porcelain dolls.
One of the biggest factors that can be used to date a doll is its clothes – if the doll uses materials such as Velcro as part of its clothing, it is likely not an antique.
Many manufacturers included their tags in the dolls clothing, so you should remove the clothes and check them for manufacturers’ tags.
Since the head of a porcelain doll is inevitably made out of porcelain, one should then inspect the head to see the type of material it is made out of. The head, or other parts made out of porcelain, may be glazed or unglazed.
One of the most important factors that help identify an antique bisque or porcelain doll is what are called marks. These are marks made by different manufacturers on the body of the doll, usually at the back of the head.
Other places where these marks are found include neck and the body of the doll. Once you find the manufacturer’s mark, you can compare it against markings of known manufacturers from 18th to 20th century. There are a number of online hobby sites which have a database of all such markings.
If you cannot identify the mark on your doll, you can ask experts or even online forums to help with identifying the mark or the mold numbers. Not all porcelain dolls of this period have marks – for example, Jumeau dolls are known to contain no markings at all.
There are many other factors that can help you identify the age and maker of a doll. For example, if the doll has a glass eye, it was almost certainly made after 1870, which is when the trend of the glass eyes began.
If you are unable to correctly identify your doll, you should contact a professional appraiser or an auction house to help you do that for a fee. You can contact a professional appraiser from sites such as theriaults.com and nadda.org.
There is a very active community of antique porcelain doll collectors in the US and other countries. Sites such as the ones mentioned above should help you start in this hobby. The best antique dolls usually cost thousands of dollars; however, you can still buy some of the very fine models for much less than that.
With their red cheeks, fair hair and white skin, porcelain dolls from the 19th century are some of the most beautiful collector’s items, so it is not surprising that so many collectors are interested in them.
Whether it is a French model or a German one, an antique porcelain doll should add a level of old world charm anywhere they are placed.
