I love antique dolls, especially papier mache head dolls. I'm not alone in this. Finding a nice one is not easy, and the competition for them is tough. One day I was browsing ebay and saw one of the reproduction Greiner Papier Mache Head dolls made by the United States Post Office. I looked at them years ago, but at that time they were on the expensive side.
So when I found one for a good price on ebay, I decided to get it and see if I liked it in person. She arrived and honestly, I think she is pretty nice. One thing that was a disappointment is what looked like a reflection of light in one of her eyes was actually a scratch. So I took a few minutes to get out my paints and mixed up a color as close to the eye color as possible and repainted that eye. I think I did okay with it.
The second photo shows the scratched eye and the third photo shows the eye after I repainted it. I really like this doll, even thought she is quite large. Her complexion was borderline pasty white, so while I had my paints out, I did a faux aging technique to her face. It seemed to make her more realistic. I was very pleased with the results. Her eyelash area had some slight denting, so she looks as if she has been played with long ago. The aging technique enhances this. It may be hard to tell much difference in the photos because of the flash, but in person, you can see the difference very well.
The photos above show some of the details about these dolls. The papier mache head was made from the same papier mache recipe Ludwig Greiner used many years ago. The head and body are both marked well, showing that she is a reproduction. She is all cloth, other than the papier mache head. She has a beautiful outfit but the shoes are a little cheap looking. So I took a pair of well-worn genuine antique baby shoes and a pair of black socks and put them on her. They are just a smidge too big, but look perfect on her.
I named her Hannah and put her in an adult size antique chair in my living room.
Did I mention that she is 30 inches tall? I never buy big dolls because of the lack of space, but I made an exception for Hannah. The chair she sits in has been a place for various teddy bears to sit in over the years. Since bears can sit in lots of places and fit in smaller chairs, this one belongs to Hannah now.
I smile every time I walk into our living room. I hope you enjoyed seeing her and hearing about her.
Have a great week and be blessed!
7 comments:
Hannah looks right at home on her chair. It is wonderful to find a doll who speaks to us.
It is fortunate that you were able to make the small changes needed to bring Hannah to life.
Are you planning to do something special to celebrate World Doll Day? I am going to give away a doll at our doll club meeting next month.
Thank you, Dorothy! I didn't realize World Doll Day was approaching so fast. So nothing planned as of yet, but will think about it. Giving away a doll is always a wonderful thing. I am not a member of any doll clubs but have a couple of doll groups on face book and a member of some others. Are you on face book?
Hello. No I am not on Facebook. I don't have any social media. I am active with the Madame Alexander Doll Club and with the Little Darling ning group.
I'm a member of the LD group on ning too. I rarely go there anymore because I have been waiting almost 5 years for my doll from Lana. I have a close friend that is also waiting the same amount. It's a sad situation. I paid in full too, but will never do that again. I have loved those dolls for so many years. It's sad how things have turned out with Lana. Praying things will eventually be taken care of and everyone will finally get their doll.
I am so sorry to hear this. Please send me a message on the ning site. I tried to find you just now but there are several Carolyns. You should be able to easily find me. Thanks.
I just wanted to say a quick Happy World Doll Day!
Thank you Dorothy! I hope you had a Happy World Doll Day too! :o)
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