Know when to hold 'em, know when to fold 'em

    I don't change every doll I get.  Sometimes one comes along that just tugs at my heart in all her imperfection.  Such was the case when I saw this little girl;

 Her face speaks of love, years, many kisses and washes from her young mama. She wears her history so well--I just wanted to hug her the first time I saw her.  I didn't think I would get her, but I knew if I did all I would "repair" would be her left eye, which is partially missing.

Then she came home....

 Her wig was ratty and crusty feeling, and while I loved the color on her, I was not about to keep the dirty thing!  And then, inspiration struck--so I got out my wood epoxy----

 Gave her an "Evie" style, and I inserted tiny magnets on each side of her head, and also in the back, so she can wear ribbons.  Touched up the paint on both eyes, and then put a wash of dark brown over them to make the painting look old.
And then, just like that, she came back to life.

Mystery Doll Update!

I am slowly learning about my "mystery doll", Giovanna.  I have been in contact with a man who is very respected in the Schoenhut world, and he said he is certain she IS a Schoenhut!  The spring joints were patented, and the shape of the limbs are all Schoenhut. Apparently they DID make dolls this size, as custom dolls or mannequins.

It is the face sculpt that is throwing us off, because there is no record of any face like that.  However, it is clear that the head is original to the doll, although she has obviously been repainted.  Now here is where it gets VERY interesting.

An Italian sculptor and artist, M Graziano, did some dolls for Schoenhut for a short time.  Graziano favored dolls that looked like "real children".  

OK--ITALIAN is the first big clue, because I said from the first time I saw her that she looked Italian--the face, features, and painting style all appear to be Italian.  In searching thru my Schoenhut book, the dolls that were done by Graziano all had that wider nose that Giovanna has. I know I can only speculate, since the doll is not signed or marked in way, but I believe her to be a "lost" Graziano doll.  Whether he made her for a commission, or for a friend, there is no way of knowing.  It is my belief that she was made as a custom mannequin doll, and her face was done in the likeness of a girl who was very special to the person who commissioned her--perhaps a daughter, or a granddaughter.  Maybe, sadly, the child died young, and the doll was done from a photograph.

It is sad to me that no one bothered to sign her, or even write her name on her back!  It is so important to record things for future generations!  Perhaps one day some real evidence will be discovered, but for now, she will remain a very treasured part of my doll family.  She has so much "presence" and personality, it is hard to look at her and not see a "real" child.  That, and the fact that I so quickly became attached to her, makes her very special.  Most of the dolls that come into my life just don't stay for long, but Giovanna will not be leaving!

More doll stuff

 The one on the right is next in line, but not for a while--other projects call.

Then there is THIS wee baby, that I love, and will not change a thing about her!!

Marcella

Face done, but no hair yet

Her hair is not quite cured, so I can't paint it until tomorrow.  Doesn't she look like a little Flapper girl?  And no teeth on this Miss Dolly--dolls with teeth creep me out.

She's Doing it Again!

If you are a die hard Schoenhut collector, please be warned--the story you are about to view may cause you to have a heart attack.  An antique doll is being ALTERED.  View at your own risk, and do not bother contacting me and telling me I am destroying a valuable antique.  There are hundreds of thousand of these dolls, and this one was in such bad shape she would have ended up in the trash.
This is what I do.  I salvage badly damaged Schoenhuts, and remake them into one of a kind, "Artist" Schoenhuts.  Sometimes I take a doll that is in GOOD shape, but has been horribly repainted--Sharpie for eyebrows??--and I strip her face off and redo her.  My "Artist Schoenhuts" are in private collections, and of course I keep some of them.  I am doing what I love, and not trying to stir up any controversy, but there are those who are absolutely horrified that I do this.  Not your doll, not your call. 

That said.........

 This "Miss Dolly" is 22" tall.  One of the springs in her leg is damaged, and that leg has been strung with elastic cord.  I do not like dolls with teeth--so she will not have any.  I decided to try "carved" hair on this one, so I have used a product, new to me, called Sculpwood.  It is a 2 part epoxy, sandable, carvable and just like wood once it cures.  Hopefully tomorrow I can paint her.

Mystery Antique Wooden Doll

This incredible wooden doll has come to live with me.  She is all wood, mostly hand carved, and a whopping 26" tall.  She is a mystery, and I am hoping I can discover her past.
All I know is, she was purchased from an artists estate in Greenwich, Connecticut in the 1930's.  She has spring joints, much like the dolls by Schoenhut, but she is not marked or signed.  She is also out of proportion, which I find very odd for an artists mannequin--her legs are too short, her feet too small, and her hands are not well carved and are very primitive compared to the rest of her.  Were they added later?  I don't think so, they look original.

When she arrived, she had a human hair "wig" that was disgustingly filthy, it got bagged and stashed away.  She also had bright red lips, which appeared to have been (badly) repainted and not original.  I repainted them to go with her overall coloring.  Her eyes are mesmerizing--you could literally get lost in them. She is a very heavy wood, I estimate her weight to be about 40-45 pounds.

She has an amazing presence and aura.  If anyone knows anything about her, I would love to hear it! Due to the style of her face painting, which looked very definitely Italian to me, I have named her Giovanna Rosa.